


Just Go With It

by NikiFrost



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alpha!Emma, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, G!P, Girl Penis, Happy Ending, Knotting, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, NSFW, Omegaverse, Porn With Plot, Romantic Comedy, Sharing a Bed, Smut, Temporary Amnesia, Vacation, omega!regina, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:42:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikiFrost/pseuds/NikiFrost
Summary: Life is hard enough being an alpha from a prestigious family constantly in the spotlight. It gets harder when Emma Swan gets into a car crash and wakes with amnesia, having to come to terms with her role in life, her family drama, and the fact that one gorgeous omega by the name of Regina Mills is supposedly her platonic best friend and nothing more. Emma's determined to right her past self's undoubtedly poor life choices, but first she and Regina need to survive a Swan family reunion... in Hawaii.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 91
Kudos: 856
Collections: Swan Queen Supernova V: Forever Starstruck





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Just Go With It [Art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25876138) by [kahlen369](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kahlen369/pseuds/kahlen369). 
  * Inspired by [Mate Marks [art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26228743) by [Jajs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jajs/pseuds/Jajs). 



> So I asked my followers for tropes and prompts because I wanted to challenge myself and see how many I could do in my Supernova 2020 submissions, and after parsing through almost a hundred different suggestions, these are the ideas I'm going to cram into my fic. (Of course y'all asked for ABO and smut at the top of the list, and you know I'm a go-hard-or-go-home kind of person, so... Beware explicit alpha-omega smut, I guess? I'm loosely following omegaverse lore, with some modifications for dramatic effect. Adding to that, Mal as Emma's mom, Amnesia, Fake Dating, and Bed Sharing.) It's my first go at an ABO fic and I don't know what I'm doing, so go easy on me! Also keep an eye out for my art submission "In Her Darkness," as that one will include the prompts: Dark Swan and Split Queen.
> 
> A big thank you to the mods for yet another amazing SQ Supernova. I was blessed to have been matched up to two wonderful artists this year, so please make sure to check out their work and kudos/comment with some love!

"So you'll meet me here and we'll head to the reunion together next weekend, right?"

Emma sighs, index finger tapping an annoyed beat on the wheel as her trusty old Volkswagen flies down the empty highway, headlights cutting through the gloomy darkness. She's nearly home, back to her sleepy little town of Storybrooke where she can lay low and live in peace, and already her mother is reminding her of her familial obligations in a world of wealth and excess that she's never much wanted a part of.

"I don't know, Mom," she finally says, finding it easier to deny her mother now that she's no longer sitting across from her in their Manhattan penthouse. Malin Swan, despite her great love for her daughters Emma and Lily, is frighteningly intimidating when she wants to be. Lily has always jokingly referred to Mal as a dragon, and Emma is inclined to agree. "I have a lot of work on my plate. And I kind of already have plans for next weekend."

"Emma Swan, you did _not_ double book yourself on a weekend trip that I have been reminding you about for the past two _months_ ," Mal says sternly, her voice sharp and warning even over the phone. Emma winces, already cowed by her mother's cool annoyance.

"Come on, Mom. You know I hate going. No one ever wants me there, anyway. Black sheep of the family, remember?"

"You're the one who chose not to join in the family business," Mal reminds her, not unkindly. Their family is old money, and their business still wealthy and thriving, but not without its fair share of arrogance and exclusivity. Emma has never wanted anything to do with the family or their old money, and they've yet to let her forget it. "I know you don't enjoy it, dear, but they're still your family. Besides, you and Lily always have a good time running off on your own. Imagine the mischief you could get up to on the island. You loved Hawaii the last time we went."

"I was twelve." Emma rolls her eyes. What prepubescent teenager didn't have a blast on a private island resort? Besides, her cousins hadn't treated her with smug disdain back then. "Anyway, Lily's probably going to bring her new girlfriend. I don't want to play third wheel."

"You wouldn't play third wheel if you brought your own special someone..." Mal pauses, clearly hoping for information that Emma does not readily provide. "You know, there are a few lovely omegas who were recently hired on at my firm—"

"Mom!" Emma groans, scrunching her face at the idea of being set up by her own mother. "I don't need you setting me up with some random employee at your job."

"Well it's not like you ever bring anyone home," Mal huffs. "You're twenty six and I've yet to meet _any_ potential partners. Do you even have someone to help you during your ruts?"

"Remember what we said about boundaries? That includes my sex life, mother."

"There's no need to be embarrassed, Emma. You're an alpha, you have needs. If you don't have a partner to bring to the reunion—"

"Who says I don't?" Emma asks, snippy. Sure, her relationship status may be woefully pathetic, but that doesn't mean she needs her own _mother_ pointing it out.

"Do you?" Mal replies, doubtful.

"Yes!" It's an outright lie, but Emma is tired and grouchy and, quite frankly, she's sick of admitting to people that she's single. So what if she's alone and irritable and reeks of sexual frustration during her ruts? That's a personal choice and it's nobody's business but her own, thank-you-very-much.

"Emma!" Mal's brisk voice turns warm and full of hope in those two little syllables. Emma's not sure she's ever heard her mother sound so excited before. "Why didn't you tell me about them earlier? That's wonderful! You've been so moody every time you visit lately, I was worried— oh, who is it? Have I met them? You must invite them to the reunion next weekend!"

_Fuck._ So this is what it feels like to dig your own grave. Emma punches down on the acceleration a little harder, gripping the wheel as her yellow Bug does its best impersonation of a race car. She can't wait to get home to her empty house and collapse in bed. Maybe scream into a pillow for a while. "We're not talking about this. Nope."

"Oh, please? At least give me a name!"

A name. Emma cannot help but think of Regina Mills, the illustrious mayor of the small town she chooses to call home, the fierce and beautiful woman she works alongside as Sheriff, the stern yet gentle omega she considers her best friend. A best friend of whom she's pathetically in love with, but who has always rebelled against the idea of omegas submitting to alphas, passionately going off on rants about how archaic society is and how she endeavors to live the life she chooses, without ever letting an alpha get in her way. Emma had always agreed with her, silently shoving her feelings into tiny boxes and burying those tiny boxes deep, deep inside where they can never again see the light of day.

"I'm not talking about her with you," Emma finally sighs, rubbing a hand across her face as her shoulders slump with the usual dejection whenever she thinks about how she can never be more than a friend to Regina. Storybrooke's soft, warm streetlamps are visible in the distance and she relishes the thought of finally curling up in bed after her five hour drive back from Manhattan.

"It's a woman?" Mal sounds delighted with even that tiny tidbit of information. Emma wonders how she can politely hang up on her mother, barely focusing on the straight road ahead of her, when a coyote suddenly jumps out from the treeline and freezes in the beam of her headlights.

"Shit!" Emma slams her foot down on the brakes, swerving her car into the empty opposite lane in an attempt to miss the animal. The brakes give a horrible snapping sound and suddenly the Volkswagen is barrelling off the pavement and into the woods, and Emma vaguely registers the thump and crack of her phone flying out of the cupholder and hitting the console—her mother's voice shouting out in concern—before the vehicle slams into a tree and everything goes dark.

When she awakens, it's to the smell of sweet honey and warm, spiced apples.

Her entire body _hurts,_ but the smell more than makes up for it. Forcing bleary eyes to squint open, Emma sucks in a deep breath of that honeysuckle scent before groaning in pain, her chest protesting the movement. She's in a hospital room, that much is obvious upon first waking, but there's a head of thick dark hair resting on the side of the bed next to her shoulder that commandeers her attention almost immediately. That's the source of the scent. Its owner seems to awaken at that moment, head lifting and face turning up to blink sleepily at her. Emma stares into twin pools of warm russet eyes that light up when the woman realizes she's awake.

"Emma," she breathes, almost in disbelief, before suddenly lurching forward to embrace her, arms tightly wound around Emma's shoulders. "You're okay! Oh god. They told me you had a concussion. I was so worried."

Emma tentatively wraps her arms around the woman's waist, head swimming. Her body aches, bruises screaming in discomfort under the other woman's weight, but one intake of breath and she wants to bury her nose against the brunette's neck and inhale, already feeling protective of this smaller woman who nearly trembles against her.

"It's okay," she murmurs, rubbing a hand along the woman's spine, wishing to comfort her. She's clearly caused her distress, even if she has absolutely _no_ idea who she is. She doesn't even know her own name. It's Emma, apparently. The brunette goddess said so.

"What happened?" Emma asks once the woman finally pulls back, still perched on the side of the bed with one hand settling on Emma's knee. Her brow is pinched, lips pursed with worry. Emma resists the strong urge to run her thumb over those plump lips.

"You were in a car accident. Graham said he found your car halfway into the treeline. It's a good thing you were just outside of Storybrooke or he might have taken far longer to find you. Damn it, Emma, I _told_ you your old Bug wasn't safe to drive anymore. You could have been hurt so much worse!"

The woman is upset and angry, a vein making itself visible against her forehead as she sucks in a sharp breath through her teeth, clearly trying to withhold her frustration while Emma is still prone in a hospital bed.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Emma says after a moment, feeling guilty despite not actually remembering how she got into this predicament. She reaches out to grab the woman's hand, wanting desperately to calm her, to comfort her. The woman takes in another deep breath and stills, giving Emma a strange look as their fingers entwine.

"I really hate to drop this on you, but, uh..." Emma hesitates, staring down at their clasped hands for a moment before finally looking up to meet the woman's worried gaze. "I... don't remember anything. Who are you?"

The woman physically recoils, trying to drop Emma's hand as if burned, but Emma clings on, desperate to keep hold of this person who so clearly cares about her.

"Whale!" The woman shouts towards the door, turning and frantically hitting the red 'call nurse' button next to the bed with her free hand. "Whale!"

Another moment later and a man in a doctor's coat comes speed-walking in, slowing with a relieved smile when he notices Emma awake and blinking at him. "Emma, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"She doesn't remember anything," the woman interjects, once again pulling slightly on their conjoined hands, though she doesn't fight it when Emma refuses to let go. "You never said she might wake up with amnesia!"

"What? She shouldn't. It was a straightforward concussion!" Whale's expression pinches and he pulls out a penlight, running Emma through a few tests and asking her a few questions to which she has no answers for. She can't even guess what the date is—it's not like she remembers parts of her life and simply lost time. She doesn't know what year it is _at all_. "This doesn't make sense. All her scans came back clean. Aside from a few bruises and cuts and a minor concussion, she's physically fine. In great health, even."

"I'm sitting right here." Emma frowns, annoyed that the doctor isn't speaking directly to her. He shoots her an apologetic look, but looks to the brunette woman again when he next speaks.

"You may want to contact her next of kin, Madam Mayor. I'm hoping this is just retrograde amnesia from the accident and will go away on its own, but there's no telling how long it may last."

Madam Mayor. This woman is the mayor? Emma finally takes note of her professional suit and skirt combo with an appreciative eye.

"Of course. Is she otherwise cleared to go?" Madam Mayor asks.

"I don't need to keep her for observation. She shouldn't be left alone, though."

"Certainly not. She'll stay with me."

"Of course. Keep me updated and call at any time if there are changes."

"Thank you, doctor Whale."

The man nods, wishing Emma well before briskly leaving the room again. Emma looks back to the Mayor and is surprised to see the stern woman suddenly looking small and uncertain now, her hand limp in Emma's.

"I know this is all probably strange and unfamiliar to you, but... you're my best friend, Emma. I'll do everything I can to help you through this. Would you be alright with staying with me for now? Until we figure this out?"

One look into those deep russet eyes and Emma can't imagine ever denying her anything. "Yeah, sure. I, uh, never got your name..."

The Mayor pauses, looking momentarily pained by the reminder that her best friend doesn't remember her, but she covers it with a soft smile, a familiar warmth in those brown eyes that has Emma automatically feeling at ease in her presence.

"I'm Regina Mills."

By the time they sign out and leave the hospital, it's nearly two in the morning. Emma's car was towed to Michael's Auto Shop, and most likely permanently out of commission, so they take Regina's Benz to Emma's house first so that she can pick up a few things. Regina had gotten Emma's phone and wallet from Graham and gives it back to her during their drive over, apologetic as Emma examines the broken and unresponsive smartphone with a grimace.

"We can get you a new one tomorrow," the brunette offers. Emma nods, idly wondering what can be recovered from her old phone. Photos, videos, contact information. There's so much she'll need to figure out.

"Do I have any family?" she asks after a few minutes, wary of the answer. Regina knows her, after all, and has made it clear that she lives alone.

"You do," Regina replies eventually, her tone careful, reluctant. Emma stares at the side of her head and Regina sighs, shoulders slumping as she turns down the familiar road towards Emma's house. "You have a very large and very wealthy family that live in the city, about a five hour drive from here. You're close to your mother and sister, but you've never been fond of the rest, and about six years ago you chose to move out here to be further away from them."

"Oh." Emma pops her brows up and chews on her lip with a hum. She has family drama to look forward to, then. Great. "Sounds like... fun."

"I would tell you more, but you never really liked talking about them," Regina admits, smiling sympathetically. Emma shrugs.

"They probably weren't worth talking about, then. Is this my house?"

She peers up ahead as Regina hums an affirmation and cruises them into the front driveway of a tall, narrow white house. It's quaint, with fresh paint and a young fruit tree growing in the front yard. Regina cuts the engine and fiddles with the set of keys on her keychain as they head up towards the front door.

"Your bedroom's upstairs at the end of the hall. Do you want help finding your essentials?"

"Um, sure." Emma motions for Regina to lead the way, content to follow the brunette up the stairs—and perhaps to appreciate the other woman's very perfect backside on the way up. Regina, meanwhile, seems focused on packing up clothes and toiletries for Emma, knowing exactly where to look for everything Emma may need.

"You really know your way around my house, huh?" Emma questions after watching Regina pull open the bathroom cabinet and retrieve a fresh toothbrush and a couple medication bottles, knowing exactly where everything is. Regina stashes the items in a duffel bag she'd pulled from Emma's closet and flushes, ducking her head a little as she grabs a few more essentials.

"We've had a lot of sleepovers," is all she says, finishing up and then pointing Emma towards the drawers. "Take whatever clothes you think you'll need. You have a drawer over at mine too, though, so don't worry about not having enough clothing."

Emma pulls open the top drawer and considers her options. Lots of tight Calvin Klein boxer briefs and sports bras. She hesitates, looks down, and stretches her own jeans and briefs away from her body to assess herself.

_Ah._

"What are you doing?" Regina asks, her voice an octave higher as she stares wide-eyed at Emma from across the bedroom. Emma lets go of her waistband with a _snap._

"Did you know I have a penis?"

Regina nearly chokes. Emma tilts her head in genuine befuddlement.

"Well, I— yes, I mean, of _course._ You're an alpha," Regina finally says after a long moment, looking thoroughly uncomfortable as she drops the duffel bag onto the bed and crosses her arms in a nervous gesture.

"What's an alpha?" Emma asks, not understanding the look of realization and panic that flashes across Regina's face before the brunette manages to cover it with a polite grimace.

"There is... evidently... a _lot_ more I'll have to help you catch up on. But later. I'll explain it all after we get back to my house, alright?"

"Okay." Emma shrugs, grabs some underwear and comfortable looking clothing, and adds it to the duffel bag as Regina wanders over to the nightstand. The woman's head is tilted down, her shoulders stiff, and Emma slowly inches closer to find that Regina is staring down at a photo of them together on the nightstand. In it, Emma and Regina have their heads pressed side-by-side, Emma with a cheesy grin and Regina pretending to look annoyed, though the slant of her pursed lips belies her fond exasperation. They look good together, happy. Emma swallows, remembering none of it, and wonders if Regina is mourning that version of Emma that no longer exists.

"That's a nice photo," she offers over Regina's shoulder, soft and quiet. Regina jumps at her sudden proximity, bumping against Emma's chest before quickly moving away. Her perfume, however, lingers in the air, almost tangible on Emma's tongue, and the blonde cannot help but inhale deeply, the sweet scent filling her lungs and drifting hazily through her mind.

"We were at the pier having lunch that day," Regina explains quickly, gesturing at the framed photo before turning away. Emma leans forward, drawn like a magnet.

"What perfume are you wearing?"

"What?"

"Your perfume," Emma repeats, voice lower, a little deeper. She can't help herself. The scent is honeyed and intoxicating, and she takes in another deep breath, enamoured. Before she can take another step closer, Regina whips around and presses her hand against Emma's stomach, holding her at bay.

"Emma, focus," she says unsteadily, fingers twitching against the hard abs her hand is splayed over. "It's a part of the alpha thing. I'll tell you later. I just need you to focus right now, okay?"

Emma takes another breath, glances down at the hand stopping her, and eventually nods, a slight frown pulling at her lips as she steps back. "Yeah. Sorry. I, uh... I guess there's a lot I've forgotten."

Regina gestures at the door with a tilt of her head. Slinging the duffel over her shoulder, Emma allows her to lead the way back into the hall, making an effort not to ogle the brunette's backside as they walk.

"It's okay. I know this is all weird and new to you," Regina murmurs, pausing in the front foyer to give her a sympathetic look as she flips off the remaining lights in the house. Emma looks past her to glimpse at another photo of the two of them hanging on a wall and cannot withhold a sigh.

"Look, I don't mean to be blunt or anything, and I'm sorry if I got the wrong impression, but was something going on between us before my accident?" She knows it's a little out of left field, but she's definitely not prepared for the mortified look on Regina's face, which is—of course—exactly what happens.

"What? No!" Regina sputters, eyes too wide and cheeks clearly pink despite the darkness. "Why would you say that?"

Emma flaps her arms uselessly. "I don't know, maybe because I apparently have framed photos of us everywhere? I haven't seen pictures of anyone else in my life. And you're— you're acting weird."

"I'm not acting weird! You don't even know me!"

Emma stops, frowning at her, and Regina's shoulders immediately drop, her expression caught between frustration and remorse.

"I— I'm sorry, Emma. I just meant—"

"I know what you meant." Emma sighs, letting her duffel bag slide off her shoulder and onto the ground with a soft thud. "I'm sorry. You're right, I don't know you, and it's not fair of me to make assumptions. I just don't understand this dynamic between us."

Regina's brow furrows and she crosses her arms across her stomach, her lips pinching as she grimaces. "What do you mean?"

"Can I be honest?"

"I'd prefer that, yes."

"You're beautiful," Emma says outright, flailing a hand somewhat helplessly to encompass everything that is _Regina Mills_ even as said woman seems to look startled at the unexpected compliment. "I don't know what I might have thought before, but right _now,_ I think you're beautiful and kind and warm and _good_ to me, and clearly we were close, so I don't understand why I had never pursued you or why you seem so surprised that I'm attracted to you."

There's a long pause, a painfully long moment in which Regina just stares at her with her jaw dropped and Emma feels herself sinking deeper and deeper into a pit of regret and embarrassment, until finally— _finally_ —the brunette shakes her head a little and says, somewhat tentative and awestruck,

"You think I'm beautiful?"

Emma blinks.

"Well... yeah." Regina doesn't look like she believes her, so Emma continues, "I don't just mean in the physical sense. I mean, I'm not shallow— I just meant— I haven't known you for long but you've been so kind and understanding with me, and there's just... There's this warmth in your eyes every time you smile at me, like an old friend, like you trust me and feel safe around me, and that's beautiful. It's so beautiful that I wish I could remember our history together."

Regina looks down then, hair falling to obscure her face for a moment before she gently tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing flushed cheeks and a shy, uncertain twist of her lips. She doesn't know how to take the compliment, isn't used to such genuine and heartfelt words, and her brown eyes are pools of swirling emotions when she finally glances up to meet Emma's determined gaze.

"That's... very kind of you, Emma. Really." She pauses, chewing on her lower lip for a moment and unwittingly drawing Emma's attention to it. "I'm flattered you feel that way. But you're not... you're not _you_ right now, and it wouldn't be fair to either of us for us to start anything when you don't even remember who you are."

"There's no way I wasn't attracted to you before," Emma insists. "I might not have said anything, but-"

"Emma, we can't. Not now. I won't take advantage of you when you're not yourself."

"But you _are_ interested." Emma takes a step closer, tilting her head to hold Regina's gaze, searching for affirmation. Regina _is_ interested, even though she's reluctant to admit it. _What kind of moron was I before, for never going after her?_ Emma thinks wryly, wondering how long they've been friends for. How much time they must have wasted. She takes another step, lured forward by the spicy-sweet scent of the woman before her, and Regina gently sets her hand against Emma's sternum, stopping her from moving any closer.

"When you get your memories back," Regina says softly, dark eyes lowered, "maybe we can discuss this again."

Emma settles her hand over Regina's, feeling those slender fingers twitch beneath hers, Regina's palm resting warm against her heart. She leans forward with a quiet sigh, and in a moment of weakness, Regina lets their foreheads gently rest against each other, eyes fluttering shut. They're silent, just breathing and resting against each other, when Emma finally voices the one dark thought that's been lingering at the back of her mind.

"What if I don't get my memories back?"

Regina pulls back just a little, eyes snapping open with a look of unfiltered hurt at the mere idea that she'll never get her best friend back. That their entire friendship will only ever exist in her mind, but not in Emma's. Honey brown eyes turn wet with unshed tears and Emma quickly cups Regina's cheek with her free hand, aching at the thought of making Regina cry.

"Hey, no, please don't cry," she whispers, guilt clawing at her chest. "I'll still be your best friend. I _want_ to be your best friend. I... I want to be whatever you want me to be. Please don't cry."

She strokes her thumb across Regina's cheek, unknowingly releasing a soothing scent that has Regina nuzzling against her palm with a low sigh.

"Stop that," Regina mutters, sounding only vaguely frustrated, though she cannot help but lean into Emma's chest despite knowing the other woman isn't purposely releasing pheromones. Emma had always been good at that; always knew when to hug her and sooth her on a bad day with her rich scent, like sun-warmed maple trees on a sweet spring day. The possibility that Emma— _her_ Emma—may have always secretly wished for more in their relationship has her weakening at the knees. All that could have been, gone, replaced by this new Emma who boldly looks at her like she hung the moon and the stars.

She should be resolute. She should push Emma away and insist that they put whatever _this_ is on hold until Emma regains her memories. _If_ she regains her memories.

Instead, Regina tilts her head up just as Emma instinctively leans down towards her, their lips slanting together with matching sighs of want. And, god, Regina _wants,_ wants as much as Emma is willing to give her, because despite her lifelong insistence that she'll never submit to an alpha, Emma is the one alpha in the world she would gladly give all of herself to.

Both of Emma's hands cup her face now, palms sliding to her jaw, fingers carding into the hair at the base of her neck, holding her gently as if she were the most precious thing in the world. A tongue swipes across her lips and Regina opens willingly for her, fingers digging into Emma's hips to pull her closer, a soft moan escaping her before Emma swallows it with a deep kiss.

And then the front door slams open.

Regina jerks back, startled, but Emma simply whips around to place herself between Regina and the door, a sharp warning snarl rumbling from her chest as they both squint at the silhouette in the doorway.

"Emma?" The silhouette asks, slapping at the light switch. The entryway lights snap on, all three sets of eyes wincing at the sudden brightness before Emma finds herself bracing against the weight of the new stranger's embrace. "Emma! You're alright! What happened to you?"

Arms held out awkwardly as she staggers, Emma glances back to Regina in alarm, the brunette staring back with wide eyes as neither can place the woman. In another moment, Emma is being held at arm's length, the older stranger looking her over with concern and taking in every visible bruise and scratch.

"I started driving as soon as your phone cut out. It sounded like you'd been in an accident. You were, weren't you?"

"I, uh..." Emma stares, at a loss for words, but thankfully Regina comes to her rescue, pulling Emma back and warily stepping between the two blondes with a protective glare.

"Who are you?" Regina demands, squaring up to her full height— which is only a modest five foot seven on heels compared to this very tall new blonde, but her cold and collected Mayor persona has always made her seem bigger and more intimidating when she needed it to.

"I'm Emma's _mother._ Who are _you?"_ The woman retorts, arching an unimpressed brow at her. Regina's jaw drops, but she resists the urge to backpedal away, knowing Emma is probably more confused and shocked than she is. A quick glance over her shoulder at the paralyzed blonde confirms her suspicions.

"I'm Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke," Regina offers a little more amicably after a moment's hesitation, thrusting out her hand and forcing a smile as the other woman warily shakes it. "Emma is a good friend of mine, and you are correct in assuming she'd been in an accident. We only just returned from the hospital, and I'm sorry to tell you that Emma has amnesia. She doesn't remember anything."

The woman's sharp blue eyes cut from Regina to Emma and back, before finally settling back on Emma again with a concerned frown. "Is this true, Emma?"

"Uh... Yeah. I'm sorry." Emma grimaces, not entirely sure what to do. She feels bad, certainly. This woman—her _mother_ —is surely going to be heartbroken at essentially losing the daughter she remembers. But she also can't bring herself to offer the woman any real comfort, not when she doesn't even feel comfortable being in her presence as a complete stranger.

"Oh, _sweetheart,"_ the woman says sadly, shoulders dropping as she moves around Regina to grasp Emma's hands. Emma tenses, but manages not to pull away. "I'm so sorry. You must be so confused. Come, dear, you can come home with me. I'll make sure you're well cared for. Lily—oh, your sister—she'll come back too, we can both help you figure this out—"

"That's— that's really not necessary," Emma stutters, a sharp twinge of panic rising up at the thought of being taken away from Storybrooke. From _Regina._ "I want to stay here."

"Here?" The woman looks baffled, but quickly nods in agreement. "Of course! Of course you want to stay in your own home. I'll move here for the time being, then. I can stay with you and tell you anything you want to know about your life."

Emma stares, slack jawed and alarmed. Green eyes cut to worried brown ones, the bitter scent of stress getting thick in the air, and Regina finally cuts in with a hint of derision for the older blonde while _her_ blonde reeks of anxiety.

"I'm sorry, I never got your name, Miss...?" she says coolly, moving between them and feeling Emma automatically lean closer against her back.

"It's Malin Swan," the woman replies with an odd look, her brows furrowing slightly as she watches her daughter and the mayor standing close together.

"Right. Malin. I understand your desire to help your daughter, but Emma already has a plan in place and a person to look after her. Should she wish for your assistance, it will be on her terms and at her own pace, not because you're forcing yourself into her home and causing her unnecessary stress."

Malin stares her down with narrowed blue eyes and pursed lips, but with a nervous alpha hiding behind her, Regina refuses to back down, intimidated by her best-friend/secret-crush's mother or not.

And then, suddenly, Malin's eyes widen.

"Oh. _Oh._ Emma, is _this_ the secret girlfriend you were telling me about?"

_"What?"_ Emma and Regina both blurt, the latter quickly turning to give the former a startled, wide-eyed look.

"When we were speaking on the phone, right before your car accident. You said you had a partner, but you didn't want to tell me about her. This is her, isn't it?" Malin is looking Regina up and down with renewed interest and judgement, but Regina can only continue staring at Emma with an odd look on her face.

"I... I don't remember," Emma says quietly, a silent apology in her gaze when Regina's jaw trembles. And then, more quietly, "I hope so."

"Oh, I can't even imagine how hard this must be for _you,_ " Malin blurts out in sympathy, giving Regina a pitying look that the brunette promptly bristles at. "Regina, I'm so sorry for my curt behavior. Please forgive a mother for fretting over her child. Of course Emma will stay with you, you two have so much to catch up on—"

"Mrs. Swan, I don't think—"

"No, no, I would never wish to separate Emma from her partner. I mean, I would have _certainly_ liked to have met you long before now, but Emma can be so private about her life and I know it would have been wrong to push—"

"No, there's been a mis—"

" _Oh,_ dear, look at the two of you. I can't believe I never knew..."

Malin moves away from them towards the hallway, leaving Regina and Emma with their jaws slack as the older woman sighs longingly over a series of photos neatly arranged along the wall. There are a few group photos with their mutual friends, people Regina tolerates and Emma doesn't remember, but many are of Emma and Regina, the two squished together for selfies or in the midst of an activity while someone else catches a candid picture of them. There's an easiness between them, a happy normalcy in the way they lean into each other's spaces or smile warmly at the other when they're not looking, and any outsider looking in would have come to the same conclusion Malin had.

"Emma," Malin murmurs, turning back to Emma as the younger blonde stiffens nervously. "I know you don't remember me right now, and I'm sorry that you never felt like you could tell me about your personal life, but I'm happy for you. I want you to know that."

"Thanks..." Emma hesitantly accepts Malin's hug, feeling the older blonde's arms wrap firmly around her torso and slowly relaxing into it as a hand rubs soothingly against her back. She barely knows her mother, but the embrace feels comforting in a way, safe and protective. Her chin drops gently onto Mal's shoulder and her eyes meet Regina's, the brunette giving her an understanding smile.

She still has no idea what comes next in this life she doesn't even remember, but she gets the feeling everything's going to be just fine.

They end up returning to Regina's mansion shortly after, so that Emma can familiarize herself with her new temporary home and so Regina can hide away in her bedroom to think about just what the _hell_ she's gotten herself involved in. She does offer Malin one of the guest rooms so that the older woman isn't driving all the way back to Manhattan in the middle of the night, for which Mal is graciously thankful.

"Don't worry about me," she says, when Regina and Emma stand awkwardly at the door of the guest bedroom, the former fussing at being a good host while the latter watches the going ons with a perpetually confused look. "I'm hardly high maintenance. I'll be going right to bed. See you two in the morning?"

"Of course. Goodnight, Mrs. Swan." 

"You can just call me Mal, dear," Malin says with a wry smile and a nod, before giving Emma another quick squeeze and a press of her lips to Emma's forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight—Mom," Emma manages, sagging a little with relief once the door is shut. Regina gently takes her by the elbow and guides her further down the hall, stopping at what looks to be a second, yet more personalized guest room.

"This is your room whenever you stay over," Regina explains, leaning against the doorframe as Emma enters and assesses the room with a great deal of curiosity. There's a mess of knick-knacks on the dresser, hair ties and wrist bands and brushes still tangled with blonde hairs. The closet is half full with crookedly hung leather jackets and the drawers full of comfy T-shirts and sweatpants. Where the rest of the mansion is meticulously neat and tidy, this room is an explosion of carelessness, and Emma feels an ember of warmth sitting snug in her chest at the knowledge that Regina had clearly given her this space as her own. She sets her bag down onto the end of the bed and turns, offering up a lopsided smile.

"Thank you, for all this... You didn't have to offer up your home and your time to take care of me."

"You're my best friend," Regina murmurs, eyes soft. Emma takes a step closer, but stops when Regina pushes away from the doorstep and retreats back into the hallway. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Right, okay." Emma clears her throat, rubbing at the back of her neck where her skin heats up in mild embarrassment as Regina hovers in the hall. "Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma."

Shiny brown eyes stare at her a moment longer before Regina nods and disappears down the hall, retreating to her bedroom with soft steps. Emma gently shuts her door and presses her forehead to the wood for a moment, sighing and releasing the tension from her shoulders. She spends a few minutes puttering around and familiarizing herself with her room, then moves to unpack her bag and change into something more comfortable for bed. As she pulls down her jeans, she's rudely reminded of her unfamiliar anatomy, and a hand raises to slap against her forehead as she groans down at her not-so-little friend.

"Right. More questions for tomorrow."

Mal is the one to explain things to Emma in the morning. Some would say it was the coward's way out, but there was no way in hell Regina was going to have _that_ talk with Emma if she didn't absolutely have to. Thankfully, Emma's mother was in the house and stayed for breakfast with them, and thus, crisis averted.

By the time Mal leaves for her drive back to Manhattan, Regina is curled up in her study with a cup of coffee and some unfinished paperwork, and Emma's poking her head through the door with polite hesitance.

"Regina?"

Gaze lifting with glasses perched on the end of her nose, Regina offers up a small smile and motions for Emma to enter, amused at the way Emma leans her upper body through the door without daring to set a foot inside. "Please come in; make yourself at home. My study isn't off limits."

"It just looks so _nice_ in here." Emma pads in on socked feet, her curious eyes flickering across the dark wood bookshelves, marble fireplace, and expensive upholstery. The room has an earthy scent to it, of rich woods and old books, and the strange familiarity has Emma noticeably relaxing as she perches against the side of Regina's desk.

"Everything went alright with your mother?" Regina inquires politely after a moment, taking her glasses off and neatly folding them and setting them aside. Emma watches them go somewhat forlornly, having found them to look quite attractive on the brunette.

"Ah, yeah... Got the whole alpha and omega talk. Extra awkward hearing it from a mom I don't remember. She's, uh, very straightforward."

"I did get that impression, yes," Regina chuckles, her throaty laugh tinged with amusement at the obvious embarrassment burning Emma's cheeks. "Hopefully she's managed to go over everything, but if you have more questions or need help with anything, you can always ask me."

_Oh, I'll need help alright,_ Emma thinks wryly to herself, already dreading her cycle, of which she no longer has any experience handling. And since she clearly won't be handling it the _fun_ way, she's going to have to think about medication. "Um, Mal said I probably already have them, but I'll need to find my, uh... rut suppressants."

Regina's cheeks color with the slightest tinge of pink, but her smile is reassuring as she shakes her head. "I packed them for you last night, they're in your bag."

Shoulders dropping with relief, Emma offers up an apologetic smile, thankful for Regina's preparedness. "One less thing for me to worry about... But I don't suppose you know when my next... _rut..._ is?"

At that, Regina swallows and blinks slowly, trying very hard not to look affected at the thought of Emma in full rut. Being unprepared for _that_ eventuality isn't wise. "I don't know. I'm hoping there might be an app reminder on your phone or in your calendar. I thought we might swing by the store today and see if anything on your phone can be recovered."

"Ah, yeah. That'd be a good idea." Her phone is still sitting on her bedside table, the screen thoroughly shattered and refusing to turn on. She'd plugged it in overnight hoping that it would power on, but there was no such luck. "Did you want to get going, then?"

Regina stands, finishing off the dregs of her coffee with a sigh. "Let's."

There's nothing on her phone. No apps, no calendar reminders, nothing. Thankfully, everything on her old phone is safely transferred to a new smartphone, so Emma can at least start going through her photos and videos, proof of a life she doesn't remember.

"I take a lot of pictures of food," Emma notes as they're driving through town, scrolling down pages and pages of what is essentially food porn. If nothing else, she was a good photographer, because every picture is edited to perfection; every plate in sharp focus, the backgrounds tastefully blurred, the colors vibrant and the food tempting. Emma taps on one photo to enlarge it and her stomach growls audibly at the grease-glistening grilled cheese sandwich with hot melty cheese oozing out onto the plate. " _Ugh._ It looks so good."

"You always did have an excessive love of food," Regina chuckles, cruising down main street searching for a parking spot. They end up parking on the next street down before making the short walk to the local diner for lunch, late enough that they're met with the worst of the lunch hour rush. Thankfully, a party of three are on their way out just as they step inside Granny's, and a tall and lanky brunette behind the counter immediately flags them over.

"Hey, you two! How are you feeling, Ems? I heard about the accident," the brunette with a red-streak in her hair says, leaning over the counter to give Emma a sympathetic smile. Her chest is unintentionally pressed up between her arms, threatening to pop the button of her tight blouse, and Emma blinks nervously and tries not to stare, instead making direct and uncomfortable eye contact with this stranger who clearly knows her well. Aside from the physical distraction, though, the other woman just smells of leather and fur, not unpleasant but not at all interesting to Emma, which she assumes to mean that Ruby is like her.

"Um, I'm alright, thanks. Just a few bumps and bruises," Emma offers, her shoulders stiff until she feels the comforting touch of Regina's hand against her back.

"I'm Ruby, by the way," the waitress adds, sticking out her hand with a wry grin. "I know you don't remember me at the moment, but we're pretty much LLBFFs, no matter what Regina tells you."

"L.L.?"

"Life-long best friends forever," Ruby grins. Emma glances sideways to see Regina rolling her eyes, not without a hint of exasperated affection.

"Are you going to seat us, Lucas, or just stand here making up acronyms all day?"

"Right this way, Madam Mayor," Ruby chirps, sauntering around the counter to bring them menus at the available booth in the back. Emma receives a few friendly nods and sympathetic smiles as they walk the short distance across the diner, and purposely takes the nearest seat so that she won't be facing the rest of the diner while they eat, uncomfortable with all the new attention. The smells are also rather distracting, a mix of alpha and beta and omega pheromones that she can't differentiate, mixed with the scent of greasy diner food and coffee. "Your usuals, or something different?"

"I think our usuals would be a good idea. Emma?" Regina gives her a soft look and a lift of the eyebrow. Emma glances down unseeingly at the menu before nodding her head.

"Yeah, sure. Maybe my usual order will help me get back into the swing of things."

It doesn't, of course, because brains are a bitch and Emma still feels like hers is a clean slate, but the thick and melty grilled cheese with a side of sweet potato fries that Ruby serves her is still one of the most delicious things she's ever eaten, and a perfect distraction from the rest of the diner's patrons. She's licking the grease and salt from her fingers when she notices Regina watching her, and immediately grabs a napkin to wipe self-consciously at her face.

"What?"

"Nothing." Regina shakes her head, her eyes warm and her smile soft as she ducks her head to finish the last bite of her grilled chicken salad. When Emma continues sitting there and giving her a perplexed look, she laughs. "Your eating habits are still the exact same."

"What, messy and gluttonous?" Emma jokes, scrubbing her fingers against her napkin to get rid of the lingering greasiness. She knows she was overly enthusiastic, but it's not her fault the food tastes so damned good.

"Endearing," Regina offers with an amused crinkle of her eyes, before standing to go pay the bill. Emma jumps up, intending on paying first before Regina can even get her credit card out, but Ruby is already waving the both of them off as they make it to the counter.

"This one's on us," Ruby says, gesturing towards herself and to the kitchen window where her grandmother is cooking away. "Least we could do for some of our favourite customers. Hopefully you'll still keep coming around for your daily bearclaw and cocoa, Ems?"

"That sounds like a tradition I approve of," Emma grins, patting at her flat stomach. Regina sighs dramatically.

"It's not fair that you can eat like that and still keep your washboard abs."

"Alpha metabolisms, Regina," Ruby grins, playfully gesturing at her own thin frame. "We eat hard and play hard."

Regina wrinkles her nose with distaste as Emma laughs.

"Nice meeting you," Emma offers, waving to Ruby as they turn to leave.

"Don't be a stranger!"

Emma is left to her own devices in the afternoon, scouring her phone and devouring any tidbit of information she can about her life. Regina stays cooped up in her study, catching up on paperwork and making half a dozen phone calls. At some point, Emma hears murmurs of her own name, and unable to resist, she pads her way towards the study and gingerly pokes her head through the door.

"I'll have all the necessary documents sent over tomorrow," Regina says briskly to whoever is on the other end of the phone, her eyes flickering up when she notices Emma in her periphery. A brief smile is given before her lips purse again to continue her conversation. "No, I don't know how long... You're welcome to rearrange the budget if you want to hire a temporary fill-in, so long as they're made aware that she will return at any point she feels like it. Yes. I know that. Thank you, deputy. Good day."

She hangs up, dropping her phone down a little roughly on the desk as her other hand lifts to press fingers against her temple.

"All good?" Emma questions, slowly padding into the room and soaking in the familiar scents and warmth. Regina looks vaguely irritated as she shoots a glare at her phone.

"That was just deputy Humbert, being his usual difficult self. He doesn't like answering to women _or_ omegas, and as I happen to be both, well..." She chuckles, sounding tired of this common occurrence. Emma perches on the edge of the desk.

"But you're the Mayor. You literally pay his wages. Who's the Sheriff? Can't they give him a talking to?"

Regina glances up at her, one brow quirked. "Well..."

"... Don't tell me I'm the Sheriff."

Regina shrugs. "Alright, then I won't."

Groaning, Emma slaps a hand to her face, dragging it down along her cheeks for a moment before puffing out a breath of disbelief. "Wow, okay. I'm a Sheriff with a misogynist as a deputy. What the hell?"

"In your defence, you've always knocked him down a few pegs whenever he needs it, and he's quite good at his job. You earned his respect. But with you currently out of commission, he's now acting-Sheriff, and insisting he be given permission to hire someone of his choosing to fill in for as long as you're gone."

"When do I need to go back?" Emma grimaces, already dreading the game of catch-up she'll need to do. Frankly, she's not even sure she still qualifies for the job. It's not like she remembers a single thing about police training or whatever else she had to do to get the position of Sheriff.

"You don't have to go back until you're ready," Regina reassures her. "You would have to get a refresher on your training, and... well, I should hope you still want your job back, but if you decide it's not what you want to do, we can discuss your options going forward. I realize it's not really fair to try to force you back into your old life without giving you that choice."

"I'm open to trying; at the least, maybe it'll jog my memory, you know? Besides, someone's gotta make sure he learns to respect his Mayor." Emma grins, coaxing a soft chuckle out of the brunette as Regina leans back in her office chair with a more relieved sigh. The alternative would have been promoting Humbert to sheriff and giving him a new deputy, and that's one road she never wants to walk down for as long as she's in charge of this town. Besides, working alongside her best friend has been amazing.

"How goes your phone research?" Regina asks after a moment, standing and tilting her head for Emma to follow her to the kitchen. She's in sore need of another caffeine refill, and the new Keurig machine she bought a few weeks back is calling her name.

"Well, I either have a _lot_ of needy friends or the entire town just happens to have the Sheriff's personal number, because I have at least a dozen texts from people all around town asking if I can get their cat out of a tree or help replace a lightbulb on their ceiling. One _Mrs. Cobbler_ is leaving me angry voicemails about a family of raccoons getting into her bins, Ruby's sent me no less than ten cat memes, and someone called Lily is begging me to come to a family reunion in Hawaii."

"I'm afraid most of that is quite normal in your life," Regina says, looking amused as Emma groans in displeasure. "And Lily is your sister."

"Right. I nearly forgot."

"Did you reply to her?"

"Not yet. I don't really know what to say." Emma shrugs, opening up the text message on her phone again to glance it over while Regina fiddles with the coffee machine. Lily had sent a bunch of well wishes after Mal told her that Emma had been in an accident and was suffering memory loss, asking if she wanted company and promising that she could come visit if Emma needed anything at all. She means well and sounds like a nice person, but it doesn't change the fact that she's a stranger to Emma, and she feels bad enough _not_ being the sister Lily remembers. The last thing she wants to do is meet with her and end up disappointing Lily.

"Maybe, when you're feeling up to it, you could give her a call," Regina suggests, casually grabbing the creamer from the fridge so as to not crowd Emma. "You've always had good things to say about your sister. Chatting with her might help."

"Yeah, maybe." Emma rereads the last few texts with a grimace. "She wants me to go to the family reunion. Says it might help jog my memory if I meet my entire family again. And apparently it's at a Hawaiian resort that I've been to in the past."

Turning around, Regina places two fresh coffees on the island counter, dropping a dollop of creamer in hers before pushing both creamer and sugar towards Emma. Emma makes her coffee without thinking about it, three spoons of sugar and a healthy dash of creamer like always, and Regina smiles.

"Familiar places and memorable locations have been known to help," she says diplomatically, leaning forward on the counter and lifting her mug to her lips for a careful sip. "And perhaps a vacation is just what you could use right now."

"With a family of strangers," Emma reminds her, grimacing. After a moment of silence, her eyes light up and she pins Regina with a stare. "Unless..."

"Oh. Oh no."

"Oh, come on!"

"You're my best friend, Emma, but I _really_ don't want to meet your entire extended family." As pleasant as Mal had been, Regina isn't keen on spending more time with the intimidating woman again anytime soon, either. Especially now that there's _something_ out in the open between her and Emma, even if they don't really know what it is yet.

"But you're my _only_ friend, Regina," Emma wheedles, which is entirely true because she doesn't _remember anyone else,_ and it's an unfair advantage because Regina can already feel her resolve crumbling at the pleading look in Emma's eyes. "The trip might help me remember, but I don't want to do it alone, surrounded by _strangers—"_

"Stop," Regina groans, before Emma can start fully lamenting her situation. "I might check my schedule—"

"—Yes!"

"I'm not _promising_ anything—"

"You're my favourite person in the _world—"_ Emma whirls around the counter to suddenly pick Regina up in a full bodied hug, spinning her around in a circle and causing the brunette to cling to her with a squeal.

"Don't drop me!" she warns, half-laughing as she digs her fingers into Emma's shoulders with a gasp. Emma stops then, looking up at her with an ear splitting grin. Regina meets her eyes, taking in a breath as Emma finally lowers her feet to the ground with a slow gentleness.

"I'd never drop you," the blonde murmurs, mossy green eyes turning soft and warm, like the yellow of morning sunlight glowing through the lush leaves of a new spring tree. Her scent is warm and comforting, and Regina imagines nosing against Emma's neck like one buries themself in warm laundry fresh out of the dryer, a purr of contentment almost rumbling from her chest before she squashes it down.

"I'll check my calendar," Regina promises, gently tapping her hand flat against Emma's sternum once, twice, and then politely moving out of her arms, leaving the kitchen with her coffee in hand. Emma exhales slowly, watching her go with a twinge in her chest. The reunion is less than a week away, and though the idea of meeting her entire family is daunting, the beginnings of hope blooms in her chest at the prospect of vacationing with Regina.

"Hey, Ems!"

The voice is bright and cheerful, a little tomboyish and rough sounding. Familiar, maybe. Emma isn't too sure, but she puffs out an awkward laugh and smiles at her first conversation with a sister she doesn't remember.

"Hi, Lily. How are you?"

She's sitting on a park bench, holding a takeout cup of coffee atop her thigh as she watches the lazy going-ons of the people around her. A few parents hanging out nearby, a gaggle of children running around by the play area. A man in an unseasonable tweed jacket walking his dalmatian on the other side of the park.

"I'm good! Just wrapping up a bunch of stuff with work and pre-packing for the trip. I'm usually kind of a last-minute person but Dorothy's a bit of a control freak about it— oh, Dorothy's my girlfriend. You haven't met her yet, but she'll be coming along too. How are you? How're you holding up?"

There's genuine care in her voice. Lily speaks casually to her, as if Emma isn't basically a stranger at the moment, and Emma is glad for it. Mal's somewhat heavy handed concern and mothering had been a hard pill to swallow in comparison.

"I'm okay. It kind of helps that Storybrooke is such a small town; it's not overwhelming or anything. I'm mostly just kind of confused and going with the flow, I guess." Emma puffs out another soft laugh, setting her coffee down on the flat surface of the bench to run a hand through her hair. "Meeting Mal was a lot."

"Mom is always a lot," Lily retorts with a chuckle. "You'll get used to her. You're usually the one bickering with her the most."

"Oh. Was I not very close with her?"

"Pfft. You were more of a Momma's Girl than I was," Lily snorts. Emma feels her cheeks burn with embarrassment. So much for being an angsty teenage badass.

"What about us? Were we close?"

"Uh, present tense, bitch. We made a pact to be each other's Maid of Honor when we eventually get married. If you back out, I'll drive to Storybrooke and kick your ass."

Emma grins, reassured to know that she has a sister she's close to. If all else fails, she can rely on Lily to help get her through the family reunion unscathed.

"So what's this about Mom meeting your secret girlfriend?" Lily asks after a moment, sounding amused. "I didn't think you'd ever confess your love to _Regiiiiiina."_

"Wait, you _know?"_ Emma all but yelps.

"Know about your secret obsession with the super hot Mayor of Storybrooke? Who do you think had to put up with you mooning over her on the phone every other night?"

"So I _was_ in love with her!" Emma groans, slapping her free hand over her face in anguish. She'd never found anything incriminating in her old text messages, but this clearly explains the history of all those long phone calls to Lily. "Why didn't I ever _do anything about it?!"_

"Because you're a little bitch," Lily teases, which draws out a threatening growl from the blonde that even Emma is surprised about. "Easy there, alpha. I just mean you were _way_ too honorable. You were fixated on how Regina was an independent omega and how she hated the traditional bullshit of alphas owning omegas... which is something she ranted about, like, six years ago when you first met her. But did you listen to your wise older sister and just talk to her? _Noooo..."_

"I'm a fucking dumbass," Emma bemoans.

"Something we can agree on," Lily says, laughing. "But hey, amnesia has clearly helped you see the light. You love her, now you can go after her."

"Yeah, well, she doesn't want to start anything while I've got amnesia, so I'm still shit out of luck."

"What do you mean she doesn't want to _start anything?_ Did you tell her?"

Emma winces. "I may have told her that I was very attracted to her?"

"You useless lesbian," Lily sighs.

"I know," Emma groans. "What do I do, Lils?"

"Seeing as you're already using your usual nickname for me, I'd say you're on the right path for remembering who you are," Lily says, a smile evident in her voice. "I'd say the next step is wooing her on the trip. What's more romantic than a moonlight walk on a beach in Hawaii?"

"You think that'd work? Sounds kind of sappy." Emma wrinkles her nose. "I don't think she's the stereotypical chick flick romance type."

"Every woman wants to be romanced, you just need to find the right way. What is she into? Little thoughtful gifts and gestures? Candlelit dinners or a movie night in? Handcuffs and spanking?"

"Lily!" Emma says, scandalized.

"Bitch, you carry handcuffs in your pocket for a living, don't tell me you've never thought about it."

Emma immediately wonders where her handcuffs are. Probably at the Sheriff's office where she doesn't technically work at the moment. _Damn._


	2. Chapter 2

She does not, in fact, end up bringing handcuffs on the trip, though after Lily had planted that thought in her head, it's kind of hard not to imagine it. Regina is the one to triple-check their packed bags the night before, and when she asks Emma if she's packed everything she needs, Emma can't explain away the reason her cheeks turn bright pink, leaving a bemused Regina to shake her head and move their luggage to the front door.

Mal meets them at JFK International on a Thursday morning, looking far too classy for a busy and crowded airport during the morning rush. She has a silk shawl wrapped around her shoulders, half obscuring the hourglass black dress she wears, and a mimosa in one hand as she sits at the lounge bar, a pearl bracelet hanging delicately from her thin wrist. Emma immediately feels like a dunce, walking towards her mother in skinny jeans with faux-torn knees and a short sleeve yellow button-up covered with green palm trees. She'd found it in her closet and thought it was a fun and festive shirt to match their tropical vacation, but her mother's ensemble is making her regret the choice.

"Hi," Emma greets, offering an awkward smile as Mal stands to hug her and kiss both her cheeks.

"Look at you, all ready for the Hawaiian sun," Mal chuckles, tugging at Emma's collar before moving to hug and cheek-kiss Regina in turn, who's come dressed in a far more lowkey black skirt and floral silk blouse. "Our flight is a little behind. Come, sit, have a drink with me."

"It's eight," Emma points out, crinkling her brows. Mal smirks and lifts her champagne glass.

"Mimosas are a breakfast drink, dear."

Regina takes a seat next to Mal, smiling in thanks when Mal gestures at the bartender and a fresh glass is placed before the brunette. When Emma gives her a skeptical look, Regina sips daintily at her drink and shrugs, one eyebrow lifted. "Orange juice is an excellent breakfast choice, _dear."_

"Okay, you _daydrinkers,"_ Emma rolls her eyes affectionately. "I'm running back to that Starbucks we passed for a breakfast sandwich and some real coffee. Do you want anything?"

The question is mostly directed at Regina, the blonde waiting like a puppy awaiting commands, and the brunette just smiles and shakes her head with a soft _No, thank you._

"Alright. Be right back." Emma grins and strides off with a wave over her shoulder, the folded short sleeves of her shirt hugging her biceps, and Regina watches her go for a moment before taking a much larger gulp of her mimosa, wondering how in the world she's supposed to survive an entire vacation with the blonde flexing and flirting at her without restraint. She's not entirely sure what changed from their first talk to now, but Emma seems intent on winning her over, and she can't say she's not been sorely tempted.

"Ah, young love," Mal sighs longingly, smirking at the soft look on Regina's face— one that Regina quickly rearranges into pink-cheeked disinterest. "No need to be shy, Regina. You're good for her; I've not seen Emma look so cheerful in a long time."

"I'm sure that's not true. She's always been like a golden retriever," Regina says, clearing her throat uncomfortably at the reminder that Mal believes them to be a couple. She and Emma haven't really spoken much more of it; surely it would be cruel to keep Emma's own mother in the dark.

"Nonsense. I know my daughter— even if she doesn't know herself at the moment." Mal finishes off her mimosa and sets the glass down, the bartender expertly whisking it away and sliding a brand new one into her waiting hand. "She adores you, even without her memories."

"We're not together," Regina blurts out before she can stop herself, guilt and apology written all over her face. She can't lie, not when Mal looks so pleased about something that isn't even real. It's not fair to any of them. "Emma's been my best friend for almost six years, but we've never... We've never been together."

Mal seems to pause then, her glass halfway to her lips, piercing gray eyes staring hard at Regina, perhaps assessing the honesty of her words. After a moment, she sets her mimosa back down and quirks a brow at her. "Well why the hell not?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"My daughter looks at you like you're the world, and _you're_ not exactly subtle when you ogle her, _dear._ How in the world did you two manage not to pounce on each other for six years?"

"We're just friends," Regina insists, flustered, and entirely too distracted by the thought of Emma—her sweet, noble, honorable Emma— _pouncing_ on her. They've always been on top of their suppressants and very respectful with distancing during each other's heats and ruts; it had never been an issue. They've caught the occasional whiff of temptation every so often, sure, but that had been simple biology. Any alpha would drool at the scent of an omega in heat, and any omega would lust after the smell of a rutting alpha. It hadn't meant anything. What few mishaps they've had—dazed stares, extended hugs, breathing each other in—had been laughed off afterwards, brushed aside as the inconveniences of their nature.

"We're just friends," Regina says again, quieter, almost uncertain. Mal reaches over and pats her hand very gently in sympathy, but there's a bit of a mischievous tilt to her lips as she smiles.

"Seems to me like you two should be more than that, but I suppose that's none of my business, dear."

She goes back to sipping her morning mimosa, idly checking emails on her phone, leaving Regina to stew silently as they wait. Emma returns eventually, striding down the way with a bounce in her step, a coffee in one hand and a half eaten breakfast sandwich in the other, her cheeks puffed out as she chews vigorously. Her hair is up in a ponytail, blonde shining almost gold under the bright morning sun coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and Regina watches her best friend approach and wonders what it might have been like if they'd been more than just friends for all these years.

Emma is surprisingly relaxed during what is essentially her first flight, even falling asleep an hour in, making tiny grumbling-snorting sounds in her sleep that has the brunette stifling her chuckles. They're flying first class as per Mal's insistence, each of them seated in their own private little 'pods' with seats that stretch out into beds. Regina's pod is Emma's neighbor, and she eventually stands up to lean over the dividing wall and gently nudge Emma awake when the stewards serve them their meals halfway through the flight. It's a twelve and a half hour trip, but their cushy seats and comfortable amenities leave Regina feeling less sore than she expected to be. Still, it's nice to be moving around on her feet again after they deboard the aircraft, stretching her limbs and yawning away the lingering grogginess of multiple naps during the flight. They're still running on New York time, so what feels like 9pm to them is actually a warm and sunny 3pm in Hawaii.

"It's so nice out, but I'm so ready for bed," Emma groans, gawking out the large airport windows as they make their way through the terminal. She lags behind, sleepily admiring the view, and Regina chuckles and links their arms to keep Emma moving forward.

"We'll have plenty of time to enjoy it all for the rest of the week," Regina reminds her, following Mal as the older blonde seems to know exactly where she's going. They retrieve their luggage and head out to the pickup zone where a sleek black limousine is already waiting for them, the driver stepping out to greet Mal with a bow and a polite _Madam Swan_ and to help them with their bags.

"You've severely understated your family's status to me in the past," Regina says under her breath, giving Emma's arm a squeeze. Being the mayor of her own small town and inheriting her parents' wealth has left Regina well off and comfortable for life, but it feels paltry in comparison to the amenities Mal seems used to.

"I really hope I wasn't hiding some sort of family tie to the mafia," Emma mutters back, looking uncomfortable as the driver loads up all their suitcases for them. Mal, with her sharp eyes and sharper sense of hearing, promptly chuckles at them.

"Don't be dramatic, Emma. We're not _criminals._ " She slips past them to approach the vehicle as the driver holds open the back door for them. "Most of us, anyway," she adds thoughtfully, before ducking into the vehicle. Regina and Emma exchange a wide-eyed look, unsure if Mal is fucking with them or not. Deciding not to keep the woman waiting, they clamber into the vehicle after her, sitting across from the older blonde as Mal taps out a few text messages on her phone.

"You're joking about the criminal thing, right?" Emma asks tentatively, wincing when Regina subtly pinches her thigh. Mal looks up at the both of them with a deadpan stare, keeping them pinned beneath her cool gray gaze and letting them sweat for a solid few seconds before she finally breaks and laughs.

"You should see your faces," she chuckles, eyes dancing with mirth. "Though I'm sure some people would consider our line of work criminal. Our family owns a private law firm. One of the best. Admittedly, we've represented our share of the unsavory sort, but it brought us business, and business means profit. You certainly can't argue with results." She shrugs, motioning around at the first class limousine that is currently cruising them through the heart of Hawaii to their five star luxury resort.

"You've represented criminals," Emma repeats, frowning.

"To an extent. If not us, someone else would have." Mal softens and gives her daughter a wry smile. "I'm more of an advisor, myself, and Lily prefers playing prosecutor. We're not _all_ crooked TV villains in the pockets of the mob, you know, though I've always understood your desire to distance yourself from the family business. It's not always pretty."

"Yeah, doesn't exactly sound like rainbows and unicorns. I'll leave the lawyering to you." Emma grimaces. Mal seems to purse her lips in thought.

"That said, you'll probably want to stay away from Leo. He married into the family, my cousin-in-law I suppose, and likes to play advisor to politicians who should really be in jail."

"Oh, great," Emma mutters, glancing to Regina with an apologetic smile as the brunette purses her lips. "Welcome to the family?"

Mal just shakes her head as her daughter yelps, wiggling away from Regina's pinching fingers.

They arrive at the resort after a half hour drive, stepping out and squinting in the late afternoon sun while their driver unloads their luggage. Emma's jaw is nearly on the ground as she takes in the five star luxury resort, a white marble path leading them up to the main building where floor-to-ceiling glass provides a clear view into a tall lobby with lavish furniture and a diamond chandelier. Emma and Regina take their suitcases and start up the path first as Mal speaks briefly with their driver.

"I feel like we're in a Hollywood movie," Emma mumbles, blinking as cool air rushes over them the moment they step past automatic glass doors and enter the spacious lobby. Expensive upholstery fill out the sitting area, the mahogany flooring gleams as if freshly polished on a daily basis, and the teak and zebra wood walls are decorated with authentic Nepalese art and sculptures. Further into the main building, one wing seems to house multiple bustling restaurants, the tempting scents of expensive meats, seafood, and other cuisine wafting towards them, urging them to open their wallets for a culinary adventure. Down another wing echoes the soothing sounds of running water and low, relaxing music, as guests in white robes and slippers drift in and out of different spa rooms, gossiping and giggling and sipping from champagne flutes.

"We are most definitely visiting the spa," Regina says, staring longingly down the hall at the distant pampered figures. Emma, on the other hand, is already inching her way towards the restaurants, nose in the air and eyes drifting shut like a predator following the scent of fresh prey.

"Come along, my darlings," Mal says crisply, breaking them both out of their fantasies as she strides by in her sharp heels, a bellboy eagerly following at her heels with Mal's luggage in his arms. Multiple heads turn as the elder blonde commandeers the reception desk to get checked in, radiating alpha energy even as a beta. She flashes a gold card and has her hand gently kissed by a man in a suit behind the desk, his smile wide and delighted as he lavishes compliments upon her and coos appropriately over her pearl bracelet and the diamond pendant nestled upon her collarbone.

"He must get paid in diamonds to kiss that much ass," Emma murmurs, which has Regina struggling to withhold a laugh. Mal eventually turns away to approach them with keycards in hand, giving Emma and Regina each a card while she tucks her own away.

"The others arrived a few hours earlier, I told them we're here—"

"Emma! Come give your big sister a hug, bitch!"

They turn at the boisterous voice shouting down the hallway at them, Emma with a grimace-smile plastered to her face when she sees the large group approaching. Leading the charge is a leggy woman with ashy brown hair, her arms open wide and a shit eating grin stretching her lips. Emma recognizes her sister from the many photos on her phone, and relaxes somewhat as the two groups converge, Lily engulfing her in a tight, back-slapping hug that she doesn't mind so much. When Lily squeezes her extra hard like an exuberant child squishing a teddy bear, a brunette in the group reaches forward to gently slap at Lily's back with an admonishing sigh.

"Stop trying to strangle her, Lily, she's about to go blue in the face."

Released from the near choke-hold, Emma exhales in relief and smiles bashfully as Lily gives her a proper look over.

"You're lookin' good, Ems, aside from those scratches on your face. Lose a fight or something?" she teases. Emma huffs and punches her in the shoulder.

"I crashed my car, asshole."

"Oh, right. Even worse." Grinning good naturedly, Lily slings an arm around the brunette at her side, pulling her close as said brunette rolls her eyes. "This is my girlfriend Dorothy. Dotty, this is my kid sister Emma."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Emma offers, a polite sentiment which Dorothy repeats warmly. Mal wraps her hand around Emma's bicep and gives her a gentle tug forward, already motioning towards the rest of the group as Emma feels an instinctive dread coil around her insides and squeeze.

"Emma, dear, come meet the rest of your family."

Names are rattled off, paired with their relation—both blood and those by marriage—as well as a brief mention of what they each do in the family business. Leo, married into the family through the dearly departed Eva, defense attorney. His daughter Mary Margaret, Emma's distant cousin and a bubbly if not obnoxiously entitled defense attorney. David Nolan, Mary Margaret's husband and a budding lawyer for the firm. James, David's twin brother, a smarmy prosecutor. Robert Gold, a distant uncle of sorts with cold, beady eyes, whose position in the business is none too subtly glossed over. Ingrid, Emma's aunt, who hardly spares her a glance and seems utterly uninterested in anything but her own cuticles. Emma loses track of the names and relations of the other aunts, uncles, and cousins that Mal quickly points out.

"Uh, nice to meet you all... again," Emma offers awkwardly, thrown off by the wide spectrum of responses she gets. Some seem receptive enough, while others look annoyed by her presence here. She'd been wary of agreeing to this trip, beyond that of an amnesiac meeting their family again, and now she gets why.

"Just stick with us and you'll be fine," Lily whispers, shooting her a sympathetic grin, and Emma nods in relief, happy to have a supportive sister at least.

"And who's this lovely specimen?" James pipes up, pushing past David to extend his hand towards Regina with a lopsided smirk, having finally noticed the brunette lingering on the outskirts of the group in polite silence. He smells of sharp leather and metal with an overcoat of cologne, and Regina wrinkles her nose in disgust, wondering how she can politely refuse the handshake when there's suddenly a protective hand on her back and a comforting, somewhat warning presence at her side.

"You're David's twin, right?" Emma greets with a cool smile, catching his hand in hers before he can reach Regina. Her grip is tight and she oozes superiority in the way she tilts her head up and looks down at him with the mere inch she has on him, her gaze unimpressed and her smile hard. Her scent, rich like sun-warmed maple trees on a sweet spring day, clashes against his with ease, and Regina swallows thickly, resisting the urge to lean into Emma's side with a purr. "Nice to meet you, James."

"Emma," James greets, his smirk turning into a sneer as his eyes flicker from Regina to her. "You haven't introduced your pretty friend here."

He flashes another smile at Regina, self-assured and too-confident, as if there's no way that she would be with Emma. And okay, she and Emma aren't actually together, but that's not the _point._ Emma's scent grows sharp with distress, suddenly uncertain about how she's supposed to handle an entire family of strangers who already know her and have judgmental assumptions about her. Before she can fumble out the truth about their non-existent relationship, Regina suddenly wraps her arm around Emma's waist with a smug smile of her own and says,

"I can introduce myself just fine. I'm Regina, Emma's girlfriend."

She's probably going to regret this lie in front of Emma's entire family later, but right now, the utter shock and disbelief on James's face is worth it as his jaw hangs slack. Likewise, Emma is staring sideways at Regina with her mouth ajar and eyes wide, her arm curling tentatively around Regina's back as the brunette leans against her.

From behind them, Regina is quite sure she can hear Mal chuckle lowly under her breath, the older woman's encouraging words still bouncing around in her head.

"Wait. Emma? Really?" James gives her a skeptical look, brows furrowing and lip curling at the mere idea that Regina would date Emma. She supposes the big job with the dirty money has made him delusional about his own merits.

"Yes, really," she sneers, hackles bristling at his audacity. Even if she wasn't attracted to Emma (who was she kidding? Of course she was), one would have to be blind to think the blonde wasn't gorgeous. Not to mention those washboard abs she sported. Or that dimpled smile. Or those pretty emerald eyes, that addicting laugh, those long legs in skintight jeans...

"Regina?" Emma squeaks. The brunette breaks free from her fantasizing to find that her arms around Emma's hips have drifted dangerously low, and her hands are all but gripping Emma's ass. Her hands twitch, squeezing, and Emma blinks wide-eyed at her.

"Sorry, darling," Regina manages to rasp out, quickly sliding her hands back up to Emma's waist. She catches sight of James' envious glare and plasters on a sharp smile for his benefit. "What can I say? I can never get enough of her."

"Looks like you two could use some time _settling in_ ," Lily suggests with a devious grin, both to help them leave this awkward situation but also because she likes to see her sister turn red in embarrassment. "How about we meet up in an hour?"

"Sounds good," Emma croaks, voice cracking as she reaches back blindly for the handle of her suitcase and ends up knocking the thing over. She flushes bright pink, rushing to pick it up once Regina releases her from the intimate embrace, and the rest of the family either wave her off with a _See you later_ or simply walk off without a word. Lily winks at her sister before Dorothy drags her away, leaving the pair standing with Mal as the elder blonde quirks a brow and smirks.

"Girlfriend, hmm?" she murmurs, leaning in to tease Regina. The brunette clears her throat, feeling her face turn warm.

"He was mocking Emma. I had to say something."

"Oh, of course. What a great friend you are." Mal winks at her, gesturing at the bellboy to follow with her bags as she begins making her way past the reception desk, where glass doors and another marble path beckon them towards the next building where the guest suites are located. "See you two at dinner!"

Neither say a word as they make their way to their suite, checking the door numbers until they get to one that matches their keycards. Expecting two beds, they're entirely stunned when they enter their shared suite to find out that it's a couple's suite.

No, a _honeymoon_ suite.

"Oh," Emma whispers, eyes wide as she takes in the rose petals scattered across the massive bed, the many candles strategically placed around the room, the champagne in a bucket of ice, and the chocolate covered strawberry platter visible through the glass door of the mini fridge. The suite is massive and luxurious, but also dangerously suggestive.

"How romantic," Regina says dryly, opening the closet and immediately moving to unpack, hanging up the small collection of dresses she'd brought and setting out all the lotions and creams for her nightly rituals. Emma dumps her suitcase and bag onto a giant cushy armchair before turning to stare uncertainly at Regina's back.

"You introduced yourself as my girlfriend," she says outright, managing to keep her voice even despite feeling like she's forgotten how to breathe. Regina's shoulders stiffen and she doesn't turn around, fiddling with the way her dress hangs from the hangar.

"He was mocking you. I had to knock him down a few pegs."

Regina freezes, then, when she feels a familiar heat at her back, long used to the way Emma radiates warmth like a human furnace. They're not touching, but Emma hovers close enough that she feels like she's an inch away from catching fire.

"You groped me."

Regina _does_ turn then, cheeks aflame and expression twisted into one of embarrassment, though her retort is lost when she finds herself standing too close to dark green eyes. She sucks in a breath, startled, only to nearly drown in a lungful of Emma's familiar, sweet-spicy scent.

"Are you mad?" she whispers, nearly lightheaded as she resists the urge to breathe the other woman in again. Emma's eyes flicker down to her lips, pupils dilating so wide that they're nearly black with want.

"I'd be mad if you didn't do it again."

She can feel Emma's words, each outtake of air whispering against her skin at their close proximity, and she nearly trembles at the fierce desire to sway forward, to close that tiny gap between them and taste Emma's lips again, to allow the blonde's tongue to plunder her mouth like she almost had back at the house. Lashes fluttering, she swallows hard, her brain rushing through the world's hardest mental gymnastics in an attempt to consider the pros and cons of kissing Emma Swan.

Someone knocks on the door. Emma jerks back, startled.

"It hasn't been an hour!" Emma nearly shouts at the door, sounding like she just might cry in frustration as she all but rips the door off its hinges. Regina grabs at the closet door to steady herself, her heart beating an uneven rhythm as she begs her body to _calm the fuck down_ before her arousal is evident to the entire resort.

In the doorway, a resort employee stands clutching a platter of fresh shrimp cocktails, his eyes wide and frightened at the angry alpha staring him down.

"I-I was told t-to bring you this complimentary platter from Miss Lily Swan," he stutters, nearly choking on the bitter scent wafting from her. Emma swallows hard and reins in her frustrations, forcing an apologetic smile to her face as she takes the platter from him.

"I'm sorry. Thanks for this."

He nods, turning and fleeing back down the hallway. Emma squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, groaning to herself before letting the door fall shut and returning to the room with the platter in hand.

"Um, Lily sent us shrimp cocktails—"

She stops, blinking at the empty room. The bathroom door is shut, and she can hear the sound of a running tap behind it. With a defeated sigh, Emma sets the platter down on a side table, dunking a piece of shrimp into the vibrant red sauce and shoving it into her mouth.

"Good going, idiot," she mutters to herself, chewing angrily as she wonders how in the world she can apologize for being a total and utter creep.

Regina reappears shortly after Lily barges into their room nearly a half hour later, looking refreshed after having taken a long bath and acting as if nothing untoward had happened. Emma doesn't know what to say, especially with Lily there impatiently hurrying them along, so she plasters a smile to her face and grabs her things, joining up with some of the others in the family to spend some time down at the pool. They don't swim, preferring to relax at the lounging deck under umbrellas with an unending supply of drinks brought around by attractive servers in tight polos and khakis. Regina keeps her nose buried in a thick paperback novel she'd brought along on the trip, leaving Emma to the mercy of her sister and cousins as the other women gossip and drone on about anything and everything. 

Dorothy proves to be an ally of sorts, as the other woman is none too impressed by the rest of the family or their abrasive personalities either, so she and Emma heartily discuss sports with the occasional input from Lily. Emma's biggest form of annoyance comes in the form of a grossly chipper Mary Margaret, who has proven to have a tendency to stick her nose in everyone's business and disguise her judgmental comments with sickeningly sweet smiles and fake laughter. She's not so much _purposely_ doing it, but rather doing it out of complete and utter ignorance, and Emma isn't really sure which is worse.

Thankfully, they only have a scant few hours to lounge in the late afternoon sun before early evening is upon them, coaxing everyone up out of their seats to prepare for dinner. It's apparently a tradition thing; they're free to go or do whatever they'd like for the week, but everyone meets up for a group dinner on the first and last night of vacation. Tonight, their family dinner is to take place at the steakhouse restaurant in the main building, which has a strict dress code. Lily promises that the family dinner on their last night will be at the much more relaxed outdoor tiki restaurant, so Emma grudgingly pulls out her best suit for tonight, and tonight only.

"How's your book?" Emma asks once she and Regina are back in their suite, trying to make light conversation to fill in the awkward silence as they go about getting dressed. She's hopping into her dress pants as Regina disappears into the bathroom with her dress, leaving the door open a crack so they can converse.

"I'm enjoying it so far," Regina replies, vague. Emma had hoped for something more substantial; Regina certainly hadn't taken her nose out of that book the entire time they were down at the deck. Emma pauses to glance at the paperback novel where it rests on the bedside table, taking in the gold embossed title and the fantasy artwork that adorns the cover, a queen upon a white steed and a female knight surrounded by magical flames.

"I didn't take you for a medieval fantasy reader."

She's buttoning up her crisp white dress shirt when Regina reappears in the bathroom doorway, wearing a form fitting sapphire blue dress with matching heels, a small diamond resting along her collarbone and two glittering studs in her ears.

"Everyone enjoys a good escape from reality once in a while." Regina shrugs, moving towards her when Emma has gone still to admire her. She takes over, gently nudging Emma's hands aside to unbutton the top two and leave a tasteful amount of skin showing. Her hands flatten to rest on Emma's sternum, and after a short moment of standing together in silence, she smoothes out the collar of Emma's dress shirt and steps back with a soft smile. "Come on, I'm sure Lily is impatiently waiting on us."

Shrugging on her sleek black blazer, Emma stifles a sigh and trails after her.

Regina would probably call it an exaggeration, but Emma is pretty sure she'd like to strangle half the table, and they haven't even gotten to the main course yet.

"Just ignore him," Regina murmurs under her breath, squeezing Emma's knee in warning after Emma's third passive-aggressive reply to something James has said. The two alphas are having the world's most dramatic pissing contest, and Regina can't even enjoy her damn salad without those two nearly bowling her over with their clashing pheromones clouding the air. Most of the family seems indifferent to it, perhaps long used to alphas in the family constantly trying to one-up and dominate each other. Dorothy shares an eye roll with Regina, Lily watches on in amusement, and Mal is the only one giving off a calming scent in an attempt to keep the peace, perhaps only because it's her own daughter who looks ready to start a fight.

"So Emma," Mary Margaret interrupts, seemingly bored of letting James run his mouth. "What's it like to have amnesia?"

Regina stifles a groan, tuning them out as Emma tries to placate Mary Margaret with decent enough answers. Dorothy, seated on Regina's other side, leans in to speak with her quietly.

"So, are you and Emma really together now?" The question is innocent, her expression one of genuine curiosity, and Regina hesitates, unsure what Dorothy actually knows about their relationship.

"That's an odd question," she says slowly, uncertainly. Dorothy offers an apologetic smile.

"Lily runs her mouth a lot. She told me Emma's a useless lesbian and that you two never got together. So what happened in the lobby?"

"Ah." Grimacing, Regina glances around the table, a little relieved to find no eyes on them at this moment. James has been shooting glances at her for most of the evening and she'd nearly snapped at him to just take a goddamned picture already, but then realized he probably would've gladly done so. "James was being an ass. I just wanted to embarrass him."

"By groping Emma? I'd say you succeeded at that." Dorothy chuckles, tilting her head slightly to glance past Regina at the blonde. "Heck, if I weren't in love with my idiot, I'd wanna grope Emma too. Damn."

A low growl rumbles from Regina's throat, startling them both. Dorothy holds up her hands with a grin. "Easy, Regina. I thought you two weren't actually a thing?"

"We're not!" Regina scowls, quickly lowering her voice when a few heads turn to glance at them. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not the one being ridiculous." There's a glint of mischief and teasing in Dorothy's eyes as she takes a sip of her wine. "I'm just saying. If you've got an alpha that fine who spends every minute of the day making doe eyes at you..."

"She doesn't make doe eyes," Regina insists.

"Sure, Jan," Dorothy agrees, smirking.

"He belongs in a jail cell," Emma says sharply, loud enough that Regina and Dorothy turn to see what the hell is going on now. Emma's sitting tense in her seat, her appetizer abandoned as she glares across the table. James is leaned back in his chair, an arrogant smirk stretched across his face as he pointedly ignores something David mutters at him, the latter looking like he's trying to talk down his twin from escalating things further. Regina instinctively sets her hand on Emma's thigh under the table again, squeezing—whether in comfort or warning, she's not yet sure.

"Oh, come off it. We've had this same bloody conversation back before you knocked your head," James scoffs, rolling his eyes. "It's not my fault they didn't have sufficient evidence. I'm just doing my job, and I do it well, something my client knew because he was smart enough to call our firm. If the defendant didn't want to get sued for more than she's worth, she should have never slandered him all over the internet in the first place."

 _"He sexually assaulted her,"_ Emma snarls. Several heads at the tables around them turn. Lily sets a hand on Emma's shoulder.

"Maybe save this conversation for another place," the brunette says, grimacing, her scent growing stronger, more calming. David whispers furiously into James' ear, annoyed, and Mal is quick to engage in a conversation with Ingrid by calling across the table to her, swiftly changing topics. Regina and Dorothy can only exchange a concerned glance, unsure of how the table's conversation had turned to some sort of assault/slander case James had worked on in the few minutes they'd been tuned out.

"Emma, calm down," Regina whispers, leaning into the tense blonde's side, instinctively trying to soothe the blonde with her scent. Emma takes in a deep breath and slowly relaxes, her fists uncurling upon her lap to reveal crescent shaped marks on her palms from her own fingernails digging into her skin. Taking it a step further, Regina gently nuzzles against Emma's neck, scenting her with her cheek, emitting a very low, soft purr that has Emma nearly melting into her embrace. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Emma sighs, leaning into her as the two block out the rest of the table, whispering to keep their conversation private. "He was bragging about a case he worked on, defending some piece of shit CFO of a technology company who'd assaulted an employee at a corporate party. She'd tried to file a lawsuit, got stonewalled, and when she started speaking out online about it and the story went viral, he sued her for defamation. James was his lawyer."

Emma's jaw was tight, furious that James laughed about working a case where he _knew_ his client was guilty, and yet still helped him sue the victim for money she didn't have. The woman's life was most certainly ruined, and all Emma could think about was what it might feel like to break James' jaw. And then maybe track down that CFO client of his and break his jaw, too.

"It's upsetting, I know, but you can't start a fight with your own family in the middle of a crowded restaurant, sweetheart," Regina murmurs, the endearment slipping free before she even realizes she's said it. Emma blinks at her, doe-eyed, and the brunette resists the urge to nuzzle closer. "James _is_ doing his job legally, even if he's a bad person defending bad people. All we can do is hope that the world gets better, that someday the law will be more just and fair, and that people like him stop getting away with the things they do."

Emma sighs, leaning their foreheads together as her shoulders finally drop from their tensed position. "I hate that some of these people are my family. And I can't even do anything about it."

"You were a Sheriff," Regina reminds her. "You were an officer of the law. A _good_ one. You're doing the best that you can, Emma. You're one of the best things to happen to my town."

Regina smiles wryly, understanding in her eyes, and Emma gets the feeling this is a conversation they've had before. Briefly she wonders why she'd never become a lawyer too, to try defending _good_ people, to perhaps even face down one of her own family members in court, but the thought is quickly dismissed as she shudders. No, she would have been lonely and miserable. She'd found a career where she could still help and protect people without sacrificing her personal happiness, and Emma vows to do everything she must to earn back her role as Storybrooke's Sheriff.

"Thank you," she murmurs for now, gratitude in her eyes for Regina's soothing presence, deciding she'll discuss it with the brunette at a later date. Regina smiles wider, eyes twinkling as she lifts a hand to tuck blonde curls behind Emma's ear.

"Anytime, sweetheart. Now, do you think you've still got your appetite? Because those prime ribs look amazing."

"Huh?" Emma's head whips around to check the table in front of her, not having noticed that her untouched salad had been quietly replaced by her main course during their whispered exchange. She's already salivating over the giant plate of prime ribs as Regina leans back and watches a waiter set a dish of crab stuffed filet mignon in front of her. "Oh, wow."

"We can share, if you'd like," Regina offers, noticing Emma's eyes ping-pong between their plates. The blonde nearly wiggles in anticipation, and if she had a tail, Regina's sure it would be wagging a mile a minute. They proceed to share their chosen dishes, feeding each other little bites between whispered conversation, happily ignoring the rest of the table all the way through to dessert. It's when they're sharing a chocolate lava cake that the family is introduced to the restaurant's manager, Robin Locksley, a friend of David and James', apparently. Robin cruises by the table with a toothy smile, asking if they'd enjoyed their meals, or if anyone would like one more round of wine on the house.

"I keep telling you, if you ever decide to open up a restaurant in New York, I'd be there every night for the steak," James says, he and David sharing a laugh with Robin.

"I'll be sure to pass your compliments on to the chef," he promises, grinning. He looks up to check out the rest of the table and his eyes pause on Emma and Regina, the two women seated close together with their shoulders touching as they finish up their shared dessert. "And how are you two lovely ladies enjoying our famous lava cake? It's a fan favourite around here."

"It's very decadent, thank you," Regina responds politely, her hand resting comfortably on Emma's knee beneath the table, giving her alpha a gentle squeeze as Robin—also an alpha, from the way his pine-leather scent confidently wafted over the table—smiles intently at her.

"I'm glad. Is this your first time visiting our restaurant? I'm sure I'd remember if you'd been in here before." He stands behind David and James' chairs, one hand resting casually on the back of James' chair while the other rests in the pocket of his dress pants, hip cocked confidently. His questions are innocent enough, curious and polite. Emma goes very still, her eyes giving nothing away even as she watches him.

"It is," Regina confirms, just as casually leaning into Emma's side with a pleasant smile. "I came along to meet my girlfriend's family. This entire trip has been just lovely so far."

His eyes flicker to Emma and back, his grin looking a little more like a smirk as he nods. "Of course. Well, hopefully I'll see all of you back here again before the trip is over, hm? One more round of drinks on me."

He winks playfully at Regina before sauntering away, and Regina would never admit it out loud, but the low, barely audible growl of annoyance from Emma has a little shiver of pleasure running up her spine.

It's not all that late by the time they finally get back to their suite, barely half past nine, but after their long flight and a six hour time difference, both are just about ready to collapse with exhaustion. Regina dutifully removes all her jewelry and carefully hangs up her dress after changing into her silk pajamas, taking the time to wash her face and apply her lotions. When she comes back out into the main room, however, Emma has apparently stripped down to her boxers and a tanktop, and is already sprawled across the couch with a spare blanket haphazardly thrown over her, face pressed into a cushion and eyes closed.

"Emma!" she admonishes, padding over to frown down at the blonde. "What are you doing on the couch? You'll put your back out before we're even halfway through the week."

"You can have the bed, s'okay," Emma mumbles sleepily, nuzzling her face a little deeper into the cushion with a hum. Regina sets her hands on her hips and scowls. Leave it to Emma to be honorably _stupid._

"Emma Swan, get your ass in bed. It's big enough to share."

A green eye blinks open, peering up at her no-nonsense frown. "Um... Are you sure?"

Regina rolls her eyes, already reaching down to grab Emma's bicep and tug her up off the couch. "Of course I'm sure. Get up."

Somewhat sheepish, Emma stands and trails after her, pursing her lips with a stifled chuckle as Regina grabs the blanket and gives it a crisp shake, knocking all the rose petals off and scattering them across the floor.

"I'll ask housekeeping to have that all cleared away tomorrow," Regina says, waving dismissively at the mess of wasted flowers before climbing into the giant bed on her chosen side. Emma follows suit, groaning as she sinks into the cloud-like mattress and is covered by a soft, fluffy comforter.

"Oh my god. No offense, Regina, but this is even fancier than the bedding at your house," she hums, happily cuddling into her pillow. Everything is a _cloud._ Regina just scoffs.

"That's because you're in my guest room. You really think I'd settle for less than the best in my own master bedroom?"

"Oooh, I know which bed I'm claiming the next time I sleep over," Emma murmurs sleepily, eyes already closed, half her face buried in her pillow. Regina glances over, blushing, but in another moment there's a tiny little snorting sound escaping the blonde's parted lips, signaling her quick descent into slumber. Smiling fondly, Regina breathes out and rolls over, her back to Emma so that she's not tempted to wiggle closer. Even with the expanse of space between them, she can feel the comforting warmth emanating from Emma, like a blanket of safety and security that has her relaxing and sinking further into the bed. Six years of sleeping in separate rooms during sleepovers, and she wonders how she ever got a good night's sleep without Emma curled up comfortably by her side.

When she wakes, the edge of the bed is much farther away than she remembers it to be. She's in the middle of the bed now—nearly encroaching on Emma's half of the bed, and said blonde is curled around her, spooning her from behind, every breath puffing softly into Regina's hair where her nose is tucked into that sensitive place between Regina's shoulder and neck. Her arms are firmly wrapped around her midsection, and Regina's own arms are wrapped around them, holding her close as if afraid she might let go.

Emma groans, shifting slightly in her sleep, hips nudging forward against Regina's, and that's when Regina feels it. The warm, firm length pressing insistently against her ass.

"Oh," Regina breathes out, unable to stop a soft moan from escaping her lips. Emma feels good wrapped around her, and for just a moment she can't help but imagine them together, fantasizing what it would be like if they were making love right now. The way Emma would cradle her so tenderly, the way her warm, slightly calloused hands would slide up along her stomach to cup a breast, thumb brushing over a pert nipple. The way Emma's hips would slowly rock against hers, patient, unhurried. She would be so gentle and perceptive, nothing like a typical alpha. She'd take her time, spending hours just kissing and licking and nibbling every inch of skin, learning all the ways to make Regina gasp, or tremble, or moan for more. She'd wait until Regina was a quivering mess before finally entering her, slow and careful, always so in tune with Regina's needs, knowing when to speed up or slow down. She'd whisper words of affection against her ear, panting softly into her neck as they rocked together, and when Regina inevitably digs her nails into Emma's back and snarls at her to _Fuck me, damn it,_ Emma would pin her to the bed and crash their lips together, pounding into her relentlessly until Regina's seeing stars and screaming out her name.

 _"Fuck,"_ Regina gasps, clenching around nothing as her fantasy-self has the best orgasm of her life. She arches her spine as her legs squeeze together with desire, inadvertently pressing back against Emma, and for a second Emma's arms tighten around her, a low growl escaping the blonde's lips before she twitches and wakes, disoriented and painfully aroused.

"R'gina—?" she rasps, the scent of a hot and bothered omega filling her lungs, almost tangible on her tongue. Her cock twitches, jumping to attention, and it takes her a moment to realize she's nearly dry humping Regina before suddenly springing back with a yelp, eyes wide with horror as she stares down at the sizable tent in her boxers. They're both sitting up now, Emma mortified as Regina stares down at her morning erection. Grabbing the comforter, Emma tries to hide herself as best as she can, face burning with humiliation and shame.

"I am _so_ sorry," she whimpers, nearly choking on the lump in her throat, unable to bear looking up to see Regina's reaction. "Oh my god. I didn't—I didn't mean to—I'm so sorry!"

"I..." Regina can't help but stare, mouth dry as she takes in Emma's size. "It's... uh... It's okay, Emma. Really."

She needs to leave. She needs to do something. Preferably before Emma actually notices the scent of her arousal, because Regina is very sure she's completely ruined her panties.

"Shower," she blurts out, already scrambling out of bed without any of her usual grace. "I'm— uh— going to shower."

She disappears into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her with shaking hands. Normally she wouldn't bother with the lock, trusting Emma to respect her privacy, but now she throws the lock before stripping down and rushing into the large glass shower, shamelessly curling her fingers into herself and biting down on her own forearm to silence her moan as she comes undone beneath the steaming water. It hits her hard, then, how _badly_ she wants it to be Emma inside her, Emma who pleasures her, Emma who makes her come. It's impossible to keep pretending like this Emma is a different person, like this Emma doesn't act the exact same way as always. She's missing her old memories, sure, but at her core she's still the same person; the same sunny smile, the same playful demeanor, the same twinkle of soft affection in her eyes whenever she looks at Regina. It's there now, like how it's _always_ been there, even when Regina refused to see it.

"Fuck," Regina whispers to herself, pressing her forehead against the glass wall of the shower as she thinks of all the time that they've lost. Of how she'd been so afraid of change, of losing the only _real_ friend she'd allowed into her life, that she'd settled for a platonic friendship instead, denying both herself and Emma of what should have been the natural progression of their relationship. Denying them happiness. _"Fuck."_


	3. Chapter 3

"So what's with the hangdog expression?"

Emma scowls at her sister, burrowing further into the giant beach towel she's got wrapped around herself as she sits cross legged under a giant umbrella. Next to her, Lily is stretched out on a towel in the sun, her skin already taking on a golden glow. She stretches out, prodding Emma's thigh until the blonde slaps her hand away.

"I'm not making a hangdog expression."

"Right. Sure. You look like someone kicked your puppy. Seriously, what's up?"

Lily shades her eyes to squint at her sister, finding the blonde staring longingly towards the water where Regina and Dorothy are wading around waist-deep, chatting and laughing together as a few children go splashing past them.

"Something happen with Regina?"

Emma grunts, nearly disappearing into her beach towel with a look of shame. Lily finally sits up with a sigh, tired of her sister's woe-is-me behavior. It's putting a serious damper on their sisterly bonding time.

"Come on, Ems. I'm your big sister, you can talk to me about anything. I promise I won't judge. Tease you a little, maybe, but it's all outta love, y'know?"

She pushes at Emma's shoulder, insistent, until Emma eventually sags in place with a groan of defeat.

"She insisted on sharing the bed last night, said she didn't mind. And then I wake up this morning to realize I'm practically molesting her with my— my—" Emma flushes with shame, gesturing awkwardly down at her lap with a grimace. Lily blinks at her for a moment, until understanding hits her and gets a startled laugh out of her.

"You poked her with your morning wood?"

"I'm new to this whole alpha thing!" Emma whines, pouting as her sister starts to cackle wholeheartedly. "It's not funny!"

"It's kinda funny," Lily giggles, glancing over to check on their respective partners. Regina and Dorothy are still oblivious, having waded further out into the ocean to swim. "Come on, Ems, it's not like you were purposely harassing someone who'd said no. You two are best friends and it was an accident. She seemed fine earlier. Even got kinda cozy with you."

Regina _had_ been affectionate, linking arms with Emma when the group had made their walk down to the beach, and even pecking Emma on the cheek before heading to the water with Dorothy. Emma couldn't help but wonder if it was just Regina keeping up pretenses, though. The brunette had acted casual after she'd left the bathroom that morning, drying her hair with a towel and going about her business getting ready for the day. By that point, Emma had already been sitting in silence for a solid half hour feeling like the world's biggest asshole, convincing herself that she'd crossed a line and that Regina would hate her forever.

"I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm already falling in love with her," Emma mumbles. Lily scoots over and slings an arm around her shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"Emma, you've been in love with that woman for almost six years. And I've only known Regina for like two days now, but I _promise_ you, she looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars. Don't you think it's time to tell her how you feel?"

Emma turns her head, chewing on her lower lip as she takes in the honest expression on Lily's face. When she turns back, she can see Regina looking in their direction, one hand lifting in a wave. For a moment, it feels like she's somewhere else; like she's walking down a dock, and Regina's sitting on their bench up ahead, bundled up against the wind, one hand lifted in a wave as a smile stretches her lips.

"Yeah," Emma breathes out, waving back dumbly. She blinks, and that Regina with the gray peacoat and red scarf is gone, replaced by one in a tasteful white bikini splashing around in the ocean. Regina beams at her, and Emma can feel her heart skip a beat. "Yeah, I'm gonna tell her how I feel. How I've always felt."

"Atta girl."

They don't get any alone time to talk that day, but Emma doesn't mind so much. There's time to talk later, especially when Regina looks so beautiful in the firelight right now, in a soft floral tie-waist blouse and a shimmery teal sarong that teases a peek at long legs every time Regina walks. The outdoor venue is dotted with tiki torches and fairylights hung overhead, various bars scattered around with their bamboo designs and thatched roofs, an unending supply of alcoholic drinks with little umbrellas constantly passed around. The many guests and attendees fill the party with color, in their bright dresses and sarongs, themed Hawaiian shirts and rainbow leis. One of the musicians on stage had thrown leis at various partygoers, draping a purple orchid lei around Regina's neck during the performance and shooting her a wink that had the brunette giggling in amusement.

"These are so good!" Regina says against Emma's ear, a little loud and exuberant with all that she's drunk so far, motioning to the fourth drink she's on and insisting Emma try it. It's sweet and tastes like coconuts, and Emma smiles her approval, her body humming with happiness at the way Regina's comfortably tucked into her side as they sit together at their group's table, taking a break from dancing to the music. They're having something of a girls night out, though Mal had wandered off with Ingrid and Emma's other aunts when the dance floor became a little too loud and exciting for them. Lily and Dorothy are engaged in their own quiet chatter on the other side of the table, and Mary Margaret has long since abandoned them to go dance with David. Thankfully, none of the other men of the family have made an appearance at this specific event, leaving Emma stress-free and at ease.

"I'm going to get another drink," Emma murmurs against Regina's ear, gesturing at the pineapple bellini she'd finished a little while ago. "Want me to get you another haupia cocktail?"

"Mm, yes please. Thank you, darling." Regina kisses her cheek, slow and soft, and Emma feels her heart fluttering as she smiles shyly and goes to get their refills. She can hear Regina engaging Lily and Dorothy in playful banter as she leaves the table, warming at the thought of her sister and potential sister-in-law getting along so well with her hopefully soon-to-be girlfriend.

"Hey, another haupia cocktail, please. And I'll try a Blue Hawaiian this time."

The bartender smiles and gets to work on her drinks, leaving Emma to lean back against the bar and watch the dance floor. The live band is taking a water break, letting a giant set of loudspeakers play some popular radio hits while a fire eater performs on stage. Distracted by the sight of the woman spitting flames into the air, Emma doesn't realize there's someone by her side until she feels a tug at the hem of her hawaiian shirt.

"Uh- hi?" she offers, smiling in confusion as a pretty young redhead grins next to her. The girl is maybe twenty at most, in a translucent green sarong and with her purple blouse tied up under her breasts, showing off her stomach and a peek of her bikini underneath. Emma wonders if the girl is going to ask her to help buy her alcohol— _what's the legal drinking age here? Twenty one?_ —and is thinking up responsible excuses when the girl leans in and offers a soft hand to shake.

"Hi, I'm Ariel," she greets, flirtatious. The syrupy sweet scent of a young omega hits Emma then, and the older blonde purses her lips and exhales, realizing she'll need a different excuse.

"I'm Emma..."

"You here with anyone, Emma?"

"Um, yeah. My girlfriend." 

Ariel pouts, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. Still, she smiles wryly and grazes a hand up Emma's forearm where it rests on the bar, daring to give a muscular bicep a squeeze.

"Sure I can't sneak in a dance or two with you? Your girlfriend wouldn't have to know."

Emma glances up and peers across the crowded dance floor to where her table is. Regina quickly looks away, pretending to be immersed in whatever Lily is blathering on about, but Emma has seen the brunette's jealous squint, and she can't help but grin and chuckle under her breath.

"Sorry, Ariel, but she's the only one for me."

"Here you go," the bartender cuts in, setting both her ordered drinks on the bar behind her, and Emma gladly picks them up and flashes Ariel another polite but firm smile.

"Have a good one."

Regina's feigning obliviousness when Emma returns to the table, and Emma just smiles and lets her, resting her arm around the back of Regina's chair and saying nothing when the brunette all but ends up sitting on her lap like a cat claiming its territory. They finish up their newest round of drinks and head back onto the dance floor at Lily's insistence, jumping around to more upbeat music until Regina eventually slips off to rest, claiming sore feet. Emma watches her go, making sure she's seated and safe before allowing Lily and Dorothy to pull her into their dance circle.

"We're doing shots before the night is over," Lily shouts over the music. Emma laughs, shaking her head.

"And have Regina make fun of us when we're dying of hangovers tomorrow? Hell no!"

"Man, you're already whipped, and you're not even dating yet," Lily teases her. Emma shrugs, beaming. She doesn't remember everything, but she remembers one thing is for certain; she's in love with Regina Mills.

A warm body slides up behind her as she dances, slender hands sliding around her waist to wrap around her body. Expecting Regina, Emma turns and smiles, only to startle at an unfamiliar woman trying to dance up against her. She awkwardly pulls out of the woman's embrace with an apologetic smile and a shake of her head, turning back to stay close to Lily and Dorothy. The woman isn't deterred, though, sliding her way back into Emma's space with a coy grin and fluttering eyelashes. The omega's scent is cloyingly sweet, her hands insistent as she tries to cop a feel of Emma's abs through her shirt, and the blonde is seconds away from forcibly pushing her off when Regina appears out of nowhere, gripping the other omega by the wrist and smiling a sharp, dangerous smile.

"She shouldn't have to outright say 'no' for you to get the hint," Regina says, her voice low and threatening. She narrows her eyes and releases her wrist, and the other woman cowers and slinks away with red-faced embarrassment. When Regina turns back around to face Emma, however, she immediately looks apologetic. "I'm sorry. You just looked so uncomfortable, I thought maybe—"

"You're _incredibly_ attractive when you're defending me," Emma blurts out, her cheeks pink. Regina gives a startled laugh, blushing just as hard as Emma gently tugs her into her arms, coaxing her into a slow sway as the music shifts into something softer, more romantic. Nearby, Lily catches Emma's eye, giving her an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"I couldn't very well let that woman paw at you like a piece of meat," Regina murmurs, her arms resting comfortably around Emma's shoulders, fingers toying with the blonde's soft hair. She loves it when Emma's hair is down, a wild wavy mane of gold. Absently, she takes a fistful and tugs—very, very gently—just to know what it would feel like. Green eyes flutter as Emma sucks in a breath.

"Mm. I wouldn't have let her. She'd have been shit outta luck, anyway."

"Oh?" Regina hums, quirking a brow, smiling teasingly as if she doesn't already know.

"Oh yeah," Emma nods, pretending to be very, very serious. "I'm only interested in one woman in the entire world, and it definitely isn't her."

"Must be one lucky woman then."

Regina smiles up softly at her, eyes twinkling. Her eyeliner is a tiny bit smudged at the corner, her lipstick faded from biting at her lower lip, and her hair wonderfully disheveled from hours of dancing. Emma thinks she's never looked more perfect.

They go to bed that night in companionable silence, pleasantly drunk and still glowing from a fun night out with Lily and Dorothy. Regina wakes briefly in the middle of the night, having gladly fallen asleep in Emma's embrace only to find the alpha rolling away with a grumble of discomfort a few short hours later. The bed is almost too warm, so Regina doesn't complain, poking her feet out from under the comforter and falling right back asleep. She wakes again at around six in the morning to a strangled groan of pain, rolling over in bed to find Emma curled up into a tight ball on the far side of the bed, radiating heat and sweating profusely.

"Emma?" She sits up with concern, quickly rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The blonde twitches but doesn't speak, her breathing a little harsh and uneven. "Emma, what's wrong?"

"It— it hurts," the blonde hisses through her teeth. Regina reaches over, trying to move the blanket aside to figure out what's wrong, but Emma only clutches it tighter around herself with a whimper. "Please don't."

"What's—" Regina stops, freezing when she's half-leaned over Emma, the heavy scent of an alpha in rut hitting her in the face. That wakes her up entirely, brain rushing to catch up as she quickly backs out of the bed and hurries to where Emma's backpack is. It takes her a moment, having briefly forgotten where they were, but she finds the bottle of rut suppressants and snags a bottled water from the mini fridge before hurrying back to Emma, shaking out a pill and pressing it into Emma's hand. "Take this, Emma."

Emma pops it into her mouth without question, swallowing it dry before Regina can even hand her the water bottle. Regina doubts it'll help much—they're meant to be taken right before a rut, not _during_ —but it's not like they have any other options. She's never seen Emma go through a rut without suppressants before, either, and it's jarring how much Emma seems to be suffering. She's never heard of alphas being in this much pain just from an unsuppressed rut.

"Everything will be okay," she says, trying to sound comforting. Stepping away, Regina grabs the landline phone from the desk, hesitating as she wonders who to call. Mal was her first thought, but Emma's still not entirely familiar with the woman yet, and she doesn't want to humiliate the alpha by bringing in her mother. After some consideration, she punches in the number for Lily's room, tapping her fingers impatiently on the desk as it rings.

"The fu'... d'y'know what time it is... huh?" Lily's groggy voice finally answers, sounding disgruntled and maybe a little hungover.

"I need your help," Regina says, voice edged with uncertainty. Lily seems to sober up a little at that.

"Regina? What's wrong?"

"Emma's in rut. We didn't know when it would happen, and now she's taken her suppressant too late. She's in _pain,_ Lily. Is it supposed to be this bad for alphas?"

"N-No? Not that I've heard of." There's a pause, and the sound of shuffling as Lily struggles to get dressed while still clutching the phone. After a few whispered words with a sleepy sounding Dorothy, she says, "I'm coming over. Hang tight."

Regina hangs up the phone, moving towards the door and quietly opening it up to peek her head out. She can see Lily exit her suite a few doors down and speed-walk down the hallway towards her, quick to enter their room and shut the door.

"Hoo boy," Lily mutters, crouching down next to Emma and speaking quietly to her. Regina hovers across the room, uncertain and not wanting to intrude. After a moment, she heads into the bathroom to give them a few minutes of privacy, splashing water on her face to wake up properly and to cool herself off. She's starting to feel too warm, and wonders if she can crack open the windows in their room.

When she reammerges, Lily's waiting to speak to her, her brow furrowed.

"Well?" Regina asks, glancing over to where Emma is still curled up tight and turned away from them. Lily scratches her head, frowning deeply.

"I've seen Emma go through an unsuppressed rut a few times when we were younger, but it's never been like this. She normally just gets aggressive and pissy, but this..."

She sighs, looking like there's something bothering her.

"Just tell me, Lily."

"Are you... uh... Are you possibly going into heat?"

"What? No," Regina says, startled and confused. Her cycle has always been every three months exactly, on the dot. Even her phone app says so. "My next heat isn't supposed to be for another month and a half. Why would you ask that?"

"Well... I know it sounds far fetched, but i'm thinking maybe your cycles are trying to sync up. You might be better off getting another room if you want to... y'know, avoid the inevitable. Or not." Lily grimaces, sympathetic. "Talk, if you can. I know there's a lot you two need to discuss before anything happens. Give me a call if you need anything."

She gives Regina a squeeze on the shoulder before leaving, as there's very little she can do to help them now. Regina can only stare at Emma's back, stunned.

They might be syncing up.

It's not exactly an uncommon occurrence; plenty of alpha-and-omega couples eventually sync up if they're together long enough. But Regina's never heard of it happening so suddenly, and especially not between two individuals who aren't even mated. It's clearly affecting Emma in a way the blonde is not used to, but to induce Regina's heat out of her schedule shouldn't be possible. She pauses to take stock of her own body, assessing her higher than normal temperature. A little unusual, maybe, but not proof that she's going into heat. She slowly approaches the bed, taking in a deep breath and filling her lungs with a scent that is deliciously and unmistakably Emma. Her mouth goes dry, her cunt suddenly clenching around nothing as a flash of white hot heat surges through her veins, and she curses inwardly. _Okay, definitely going into heat._

"Emma?" she says softly, not wanting to cause Emma more discomfort by getting any closer without her permission. "I want to help you, but I don't know what you want. It might be a little easier on you if I stay in another room for the rest of your rut—"

"Please don't leave me," Emma whimpers, immediately rolling over with a wince to look at her with wide, anxious eyes. "I don't want to be alone."

"Okay. Okay. I'm right here." Regina swallows hard, considering her options. She didn't bring her heat suppressants; hadn't needed them, because her heats have never deviated from its natural schedule. Taking them now wouldn't help her, anyway, just like that rut suppressant probably isn't doing a damned thing for Emma. It's been a long time since she's gone through a heat without her pills, and though they've never been pleasant, she's sure she can get through it. It's Emma she needs to worry about. "I... I don't know what to do, Emma. What do you need from me?"

"Can you... can you just hold me?" Emma ducks her head, vulnerable and too ashamed to look up. Regina nods, slowly climbing back onto the bed and positioning herself behind Emma. The blonde breathes out shakily, her fists clenching the bedsheets, but her rigid form seems to relax a little as Regina curls around her, arms wrapping around Emma's midsection and pulling her in as her little spoon.

"Is this okay?" Regina murmurs, instinctively nuzzling her face and cheeks against Emma's neck and shoulder, scenting the alpha. After a shaky exhale, Emma starts to purr, the sound a low, soothing rumble resonating from her chest. Tucked in against Emma's hair, Regina breathes in deeply, her head spinning at how wonderfully rich and spicy her alpha smells.

"I'm sorry about this," Emma whispers after a few minutes of silence, her voice painfully tight, almost cracking, though from pain or emotion, it's hard to tell. Regina shushes her gently, her sweet scent growing stronger, trying to soothe the distressed alpha.

"This isn't your fault, Emma. We knew it was a possibility."

She gently runs her hand up and down the expanse of Emma's stomach in a comforting gesture, only to freeze when Emma moans, low and guttural. The blonde immediately turns her face into the pillow with a strangled grunt of shame.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." Regina shifts up onto her elbow and grabs Emma by the chin, turning her head to look at her. Wide eyes—once green, now nearly eclipsed by black irises—stare up pitifully at her. "We knew this could happen, and I _chose_ to be here with you, because I..." She takes a breath, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "Because I love you. I've loved you before I even realized it. And I know you don't remember right now, but—"

"I remember," Emma rasps out, her chin quivering in Regina's grip. "Some things. Not everything. But I remember that I love you. I'm _in_ love with you. I had planned on telling you tomorrow, at that jazz dance thing you wanted to go to..."

Regina laughs, startled and touched at that revelation. Her silly, wonderful alpha. Suffering from the world's worst type of rut and all she's worried about is how her romantic declaration plans fell through. And she _remembers._ Not everything, no, but she remembers what matters. Unable to resist, Regina leans down to press their lips together, Emma making a little muffled sound of surprise before melting against her, a hand releasing the bedsheet to gently cradle Regina's face. It's soft, surprisingly chaste considering their situation, and when they part they simply rest their foreheads together, breathing in tandem.

"I... um... I know that things are complicated right now..." Emma licks her dry lips, taking in a steadying breath. "I don't want to ever pressure you into anything. So, whatever you want, whatever you decide, I just want you to know that I love you and I'll always respect your choice."

"Oh, Emma..." Regina smiles fondly, kissing her again, giddy that she _can_ just kiss her whenever she wants to. That Emma loves her too, is _in love with her,_ and they can finally give this relationship a real try. Emma moans against her mouth, somewhat pained when she turns away to break their kiss.

"Believe me, I'm happy, but—" She grimaces, panting softly as a bead of sweat runs down her forehead. "Can we just, um, cuddle for now? It's really hard to behave when you kiss me like that."

Regina swallows hard, taking in another deep exhale of Emma's heady scent and feeling her mind swimming with desire. She can feel it now, the slick between her thighs, the fire in her veins, the way her body is already primed and ready for the rutting alpha it's synced to.

"We don't have to behave, if we don't want to," she husks. Emma stares up at her, dazed.

"I... I know Lily said you're in heat, you're syncing up to me, and it's probably making you—"

"My heats don't make me do anything I don't want to do," Regina says firmly, shutting down that argument before it can begin. "We're both grown women, Emma. You're in love with me, I'm in love with you, and now our cycles have decided to sync up. I don't need you to follow some sort of dating schedule before we even get to first base; what I _need_ is for you to put us both out of our misery so that we can enjoy our first cycle together."

Emma's chest rises and falls hard with each breath, her eyes black with desire. Somehow, some way, she still holds herself back, concern etched into her face.

"Are you sure, Regina?" she whimpers. Regina growls in frustration.

"Emma, you honorable _idiot,_ it's been six years. Make love to me, damn it!"

Emma bares her teeth at the halfhearted insult, and in the next second she's on top of Regina, grinding her hips down against Regina's as she plunges her tongue past plump lips, licking into the roof of Regina's mouth with hungry abandon. The omega gasps at their sudden flip in positions, scrambling to clutch at the back of Emma's strong shoulders as her mouth is plundered by a hot, writhing muscle. Emma's cock is painfully hard, grinding desperately against her abdomen, trapped between their many layers of clothing. After a few long moments of their hot and heavy makeout session, Regina grows impatient and starts pulling at their clothes, wanting to feel Emma's bare skin against her own.

"Emma," she mutters between kisses, struggling to undo the buttons of her pajama top. "Fuck... Emma, clothes _off."_

Emma rises up, and with a loud tearing sound, she rips open Regina's pajama top, buttons scattering across the room. Regina flexes her abs, sitting up enough to yank off the remains of her shirt without a care in the world. Fuck it, she didn't like that silk top anyway. She grabs the hem of Emma's tanktop and pulls it up over Emma's head, delighted to find that the blonde has foregone a bra tonight. She leans forward, eagerly nipping at the blonde's exposed breasts, her bites turning rough when Emma breaks the clasp of her bra to pull it away, her movements clumsy and desperate. She's already too far gone, too pent up from denying her release, and Regina relishes the roughness of Emma's hands. There's time to be gentle later, when they're not both trembling and aching for relief.

Emma pushes her back down onto the bed, struggling to pull herself free from her boxers with a hiss of pain. Regina lifts her hips from the bed just long enough to push her pajama pants and panties down, kicking them away, and then she's grabbing Emma's wrists with a shushing sound, soothing the desperate alpha as she helps to remove her boxers as carefully as she can.

When Emma's cock is finally freed from its confines, Regina forgets how to breathe, eyes as black as night locked onto the alpha's smooth, throbbing member as it bobs heavily in place. She's massive and feminine and beautiful, and Regina can't help but run her fingertips along the shaft before sliding up to smooth over each chiseled muscle of Emma's abdominals.

"My big, strong alpha," Regina purrs, throaty with desire. Emma gently nudges her back down onto the bed, hovering over the brunette, her thick blonde mane falling wild around her flushed face. Her chest rises and falls harshly, every muscle tense and coiled as if prepared to spring, a predator moments before it leaps upon prey. She wields the willpower of the gods themselves, her biceps flexing as she dips down to kiss Regina, softer this time, less bruising, instead of plunging into her like any alpha would have already. Through the heavy fog of their combined arousal, Regina feels affection flutter in her chest, reminded yet again that Emma is always thinking of her first, above all else.

"My omega," Emma whispers hoarsely, the vulnerable tinge in her voice making it sound almost like a question. For all that she wants, she would never dare claim without permission.

"Yours," Regina promises, curling her arms around the blonde's strong shoulders as she hooks her legs over Emma's hips, pulling her closer, an open and willing invitation. "I'm yours, Emma. Take me. Please."

Emma groans, letting her forehead rest against Regina's as green eyes flutter shut, hearing the words she's longed to hear for so long. When fingernails drag slowly down along her spine, she lifts her head, wanting to gaze into Regina's eyes when they finally connect.

"My Regina," she murmurs, voice thick with love. She reaches down with one hand to line herself up, nudging at Regina's soft, slippery entrance, smearing the omega's slick against her own cock. She sinks in an inch with a sharp inhale of air, the omega all but pulling her in. Emma's hand moves to Regina's thigh, sliding along the sleek muscle, up her hip, her waist, along the side of her breast. In awe of her, admiring her, worshipping her. "My omega. Mine."

 _"Yes,"_ Regina hisses, pulling her down at the same time Emma thrusts, both women moaning raggedly as their bodies finally come together the way they've wanted, fantasized, _craved._ All at once their patience is gone, overwhelmed by the need to mate and mate _now._ Regina digs her nails into Emma's shoulder blades and hangs on for dear life, growling encouragement into Emma's ear as the alpha begins to truly rut into her, pressing her down into the mattress with each powerful thrust, her body clawing and clenching for more. Emma's lips move to Regina's neck, her shoulder, her collarbone, her breasts. Every open-mouthed kiss more teeth than lips, leaving vibrant marks that send another jolt of pleasure straight to Regina's clit. The omega gasps and writhes and arches up into Emma's mouth, eager to be marked, to be claimed. She clenches down hard every time Emma sinks into her, stretching her, the alpha's swelling knot bumping against her clit with each thrust. It promises pleasure and ecstasy and intimacy, and she knows she's ready for it, both her thighs and Emma's already drenched with her slick arousal.

Regina pulls Emma down flush against her with a soft chant of need, clenching greedily around the alpha's thick cock as Emma grinds down against her, coaxing her knot into her waiting omega. The slow stretch as Regina's body opens up to accommodate her is blissful, both women moaning low as the widest part of her sinks in and Emma finally bottoms out, buried deep within the mewling omega. Almost delirious with pleasure, Emma starts up with short, sharp thrusts, her knot massaging Regina's inner walls as they rock together, teeth nipping at that tender place between Regina's neck and shoulder.

"Do it," Regina whimpers, grabbing a handful of blonde locks and pulling the blonde closer, tilting her head to give Emma full access. She wants her bite, her mating mark, her everything. She wants the world to know that she _chose_ this alpha, that she _allowed_ this alpha to claim her. _"Do it."_

With a snarl and a final thrust of her hips, Emma bites down on smooth, tanned skin, flooding the omega's womb with her come, delighting in the way Regina arches up against her with a loud cry, trembling thighs squeezing around her hips. The brunette claws at her back, scrambling for purchase, and then she's sinking her teeth into Emma's neck in kind, growling against warm skin as the alpha's cock throbs within her, painting her innermost walls with every twitch and every moan.

"Regina," Emma whispers, a steady chant falling from her lips, her abs flexing as she empties herself. Her lips gently brush the harsh mark she's left on the brunette's neck, the skin already mending itself around the new teeth imprints, an intimate brand to signify their full mating. Regina, likewise, kisses the mark she's given Emma, pride bubbling up within her chest at the way Emma shivers with desire. 

They're quite literally tied together, Emma's knot fully inflated and snug within Regina, so the alpha very carefully turns them over, rolling onto her back so that the smaller omega can lay comfortably on top of her, wrapped up in her muscular arms. For now, their needs are sated, bodies humming with pleasure and minds clear and at peace. Gently running her fingertips up and down Regina's spine, Emma kisses her forehead, her cheek, her jaw, her chin. Every little peck and feather-light caress a whispered _I love you._

"Mine," Emma says softly, cupping Regina's cheek before slanting their mouths together, a slow, sensual, open-mouthed kiss that leaves them both panting for air. "My mate. My love."

"Say that again, darling," Regina whispers, clenching instinctively. Emma hisses, overly sensitive, and chuckles when Regina kisses her mark in apology.

"My mate. My love."

Regina starts to purr, deep and rumbling within her chest, a happy sound that Emma can feel against her own sternum. The omega tucks her head in under her alpha's chin, body relaxed and limp as she rests, knowing she'll need her strength back soon. A healthy alpha knots two or three times a day during their ruts, and she has the feeling Emma's stamina will be greater than that. Emma seems to sense the same, remaining blissfully quiet, gently rubbing and massaging at Regina's shoulders as they rest together.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Regina chuckles.

"What?" Emma asks, smiling fondly. Regina turns her head so that she can see Emma, her chin resting on the blonde's sternum.

"I'm just thinking about how smug Mal is going to be when she finds out."

Emma can't help but scrunch up her face with a grimace. "Do you have to bring up my mother while I'm inside you?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Regina shifts forward, kissing Emma again, slow and soft. Their noses brush as lips part to stretch into a lazy smile. "I'm happy," she whispers. Emma beams.

"Me too."

Their respite doesn't last for long, just enough for the both of them to order in some breakfast and rehydrate before they're drawn back to each other like magnets, hands leaving a burning trail across skin as they lick and bite and thrust their way into orgasmic bliss. When their sweaty stickiness becomes too much for even Emma to handle, they migrate to the expansive glass shower in the bathroom, Emma fucking Regina up against the wall as the brunette presses a hand to the foggy glass, the bathroom tiles echoing her wanton moans.

"Gonna fill you up, gonna make you feel so good," Emma gasps later, when Regina's heat has her enthusiastically riding Emma's lap while the blonde is seated in the armchair. She grips Regina's waist only to balance her, letting her dictate the pace of her frantic bouncing as Regina throws her head back and moans, a bead of sweat trickling down her neck to her chest. Emma darts forward to lick it up, and then immediately wraps her lips around a stiff nipple, feeling Regina arch forward against her mouth and tug needily at her hair. The omega's cunt becomes almost painfully tight when she comes, setting off Emma's orgasm as she thrusts up hard, burying her face between Regina's breasts with a broken moan. Not five minutes later and she's carrying Regina to the bed, laying her down gently and diving face-first between her legs, wanting to continue pleasuring the omega even when her own cock is too sensitive for another round.

"Emma. Fuck, _Emma."_ Hands clutching the bedsheets, Regina tries her best not to crush Emma between her thighs, but the blonde is doing magical things with her tongue and rubbing her in all the right places with three fingers buried deep, and all she can really concentrate on is her impending orgasm, riding her pleasure right up to the very top and wobbling on the edge of mind numbing bliss.

"You taste so good," Emma groans, guttural, almost animalistic, her teeth nipping at Regina's clit. With one more swirl of her tongue, she sucks the swollen clit into her mouth, curling her fingers against the rigged wall within Regina. Thighs clamp down around her ears to muffle the sound of a hoarse shout, a hand clutching at the back of her head, and Emma gladly allows the omega to smother her for a solid thirty seconds, finally sucking in lungfuls of air once trembling thighs fall to the sides. "Fuck, that was hot."

"Come up here," Regina rasps, eyes still closed. Her alpha climbs up, hovering over her with an affectionate smile, and Regina yanks her down into a bruising kiss, purring deeply at the taste of herself all over Emma's lips and chin. "Mm. I taste good on you."

Brushing sweaty tendrils of hair away from Regina's forehead, Emma chuckles, finally aware of the fading light through the curtained windows and knowing they need to eat before their cycles have them delirious with lust again.

"Let me put in an order for our dinner while I'm still clear headed," she says softly, nuzzling Regina's cheek and happily scenting the omega before climbing out of bed, grabbing the resort landline and checking the room service menu for options. "They have a fish entree that looks good, would you like that?"

Regina appears behind her a moment later, warm skin pressing to warm skin and her lips leaving a scorching trail across Emma's shoulder blades.

"What I'd like," the omega husks, "is for you to bend me over the bed and fuck me so hard that every alpha on this entire island knows that I'm yours."

 _"Fuck,"_ Emma chokes out, dropping the phone as she whips around and crushes their lips together in a hungry kiss. If this rut doesn't kill her, Regina's heat most certainly will. 

_But what a way to go._

"Think they're still going at it?" Dorothy asks three days later, she and Lily walking down the hall towards the spa. Despite the resort's thick walls and their best attempts at discretion, it's impossible to make guest suites soundproof. They pause at Emma and Regina's door, curious, and anyone paying attention can most certainly hear the triumphant snarl of an alpha as an omega cries out in pleasure, the sound morphing into a long and satisfied moan.

"That's my little sister," Lily laughs, holding up her hand. Dorothy rolls her eyes but high fives her anyway, the two continuing on their way.

On the fourth day, their rut and heat break, leaving them curled together happy and sated in the nest of blankets and pillows they've built on the bed. With Regina cozy and nestled in her arms, her back to Emma's front, their skin warm and fresh after a morning shower, Emma can't help but purr like a motor, her scent reminding Regina of warm sunlight on a summer's day.

"I know we missed jazz night, but I think they're doing a flamenco party tonight. You wanna go to that?" Emma mumbles, absently pressing little kisses against Regina's shoulder. The brunette purrs quietly, basking in her alpha's tender attention.

"That does sound fun. Will you wear your dress shirt for me? The tight one that shows off your biceps..."

"Anything you want." Emma nuzzles in further, kissing the mating mark on Regina's neck and smiling as the omega shivers with pleasure. Both their bodies need a proper break, too sore from their four day sex marathon to do anything more, but it's the little sensual things that make Emma's heart flutter with affection. The way they can't go even five minutes without a soft touch or light caress.

"We should probably get up," Regina sighs after they doze for another fifteen sleepy minutes. "It's been... four days? Mal and Lily will want to know you're alive."

"Or we could stay here," Emma murmurs into her ear, teasing and mischievous. "Just stay in and order food and cuddle until the family leaves the island and we have the resort all to ourselves."

"Mm. As tempting as that sounds, I'd like to stay on your mother's good side, thank you very much." Regina turns her head to kiss her sweetly before finally getting out of bed, ignoring Emma's pout and grabby hands to finally get dressed for the first time in four days. When she returns in an elegant sundress that proudly shows off her new mate mark, however, Emma can't keep the happy grin off her face, suddenly eager to go out and enjoy the island.

"So they do live!" Lily jokes when the women are finally reunited at brunch, Emma and Regina finding them at the outdoor bistro with breakfast platters and mimosas. Dorothy smiles, genuinely happy for them, and Mal has the most smug I-told-you-so look on her face.

"I've never been more alive in my life," Emma grins, laughing when Lily fistbumps her. Regina rolls her eyes fondly, taking a seat next to Dorothy and flushing prettily when she and Mal lean in to get a look at her neck.

"Someone had a good four days, I'm guessing," Dorothy says, giving an impressed whistle. When Emma reaches for a piece of bacon off Lily's plate, her sister slaps her hand away with a grumble.

"The breakfast buffet is right there, you ass. Go get your own bacon."

"Ugh. Fine." Emma stands, pausing to press a kiss into Regina's hair. "I'll bring you back a plate?"

"Thank you," Regina hums, pleased. Emma scurries off towards the buffet, throwing a middle finger over her shoulder at the way Lily and Dorothy burst out laughing.

"Damn, four days and you've got her eating from the palm of your hand," Dorothy teases. Mal sips her mimosa and chuckles.

"Please, we all saw how whipped Emma was from day one. What's impressive is that you synced to her rut almost immediately. You did sync, didn't you?"

Regina shoots Lily an unimpressed look, which has the brunette sputtering in defense.

"Hey, I had to tell her. If not for me, she'd have barged right in on you two doing the deed."

"We did sync, yes," Regina confirms, a little uncomfortably to the mother of her paramour. "Probably because we've been together for six years secretly in love and only just realizing it."

"Thank fuck you two finally confessed. Well, hell of a story to tell the grandpups one day," Lily chuckles. Children come unbidden to Regina's mind, a little blonde girl with brown eyes, and a little brown haired boy with green eyes. She's dreamed of what her future children might look like since the very first day she became a Mayor, but over the years, she realized her dream children had slowly morphed to look more and more like a mix of herself and Emma, because she could no longer imagine her life without the blonde in it. The realization that it could very well become a reality one day makes her almost giddy.

"You two better not be harassing her," Emma threatens when she returns, noticing the grins on Lily and Mal's faces. She sets down the two large plates she'd filled up, giving Regina the one with eggs benedict, avocado, fresh fruit, and a little parfait cup. Regina immediately purrs with approval, Emma having brought her all her favourite things.

"I've not done anything of the sort," Mal scoffs, mock offended. Lily sticks out her tongue.

"I have. What kind of sister would I be if I weren't harassing my future sister in law?"

"Way to jump the gun," Emma says, blushing and brushing it aside with a nervous little laugh. She doesn't want Regina getting spooked, but when she glances over, Regina is already busy tucking into her breakfast, seemingly nonplussed by Lily's comment.

"Hey, you two synced. _And_ you swapped mate marks while you were at it. I'd be surprised if you don't have pups underfoot by the end of the year," Lily says, shrugging. Emma groans, covering her face behind her hands, but not before seeing the excited grin on Mal's face, and the soft smile on Regina's.

They meet up with the entire family one last time for their final group dinner, this one at the outdoor tiki restaurant. String lights crisscross into a canopy above them as they're led out onto the deck towards the large table they have reserved. Most of the others are already there, sipping on their first glasses of wine for the evening and discussing business. Perks of the entire family all working at the same firm, Emma supposes, but it's just an annoyance for her. Still, with Regina by her side, she's determined to play nice and end the vacation on a good note, so she offers up a polite greeting as they take their seats, Emma dutifully pulling out Regina's chair for her and making sure she's comfortable. The emotional closeness they've achieved since their mating has made her extra protective, extra sensitive to anything and everything that she can do for her omega, and though Regina sometimes rolls her eyes in exasperation, she seems secretly pleased by the attention and the pampering.

"Where have you two been all week?" Mary Margaret asks once they've settled down, sounding a little whiny at not having gotten to see more of them. "Daddy had a car take us into town the other day for a shopping trip, and I found the most _beautiful_ diamond necklace in one of their boutiques, I'll have to show you after dinner—"

"Mine and Emma's cycles ended up syncing, so we've been sequestered away in our room for the past few days," Regina says casually, almost smugly, as Emma nearly chokes on the sip of water she'd taken. Regina even flips her hair, showing off the mate mark on her neck, which has half the table raising their eyebrows in surprise as the other half roll their eyes with disinterest. Mary Margaret immediately coos.

"How romantic! Oh, it's so nice you've finally chosen an omega, Emma. Having a mate is just the best thing in the world," Mary Margaret gushes, purring and leaning up against David. The irritation that is Mary Margaret aside, David is actually a pretty chill alpha, and Emma likes him well enough. James, on the other hand, sneers with disgust, eyeing Regina from across the table with dismissive disappointment.

"Mate marks are impossible to hide once you tire of your mate," he says condescendingly. "It's too bad, really. I suppose not everyone is lucky enough to bed a real alpha."

"I'm sure," Regina agrees with a smirk. "It's a good thing I managed to catch this big strong alpha all for myself. But don't worry, James, I'm sure a real alpha will bed you one day, too."

She winks, and half the table bursts out laughing even as James bares his teeth and turns an angry shade of red, furious at her for all but calling him an omega. He sputters a moment, about to say things he'd learn to regret, no doubt, but David snarls low and hisses an annoyed warning at him, at the same time his and Emma's scents grow thick and warning, and after a few long, tense seconds of a three way staredown, James lowers his head in submission and angrily taps away on his phone, ignoring them all.

"You're so sexy when you're mean," Emma murmurs against Regina's ear, a throatiness to her voice that has Regina leaning in. Safely beneath the table, she drags her palm slowly up Emma's thigh, massaging the thick muscle and causing the alpha's breath to hitch.

"Behave, darling. You still owe me a flamenco night."

"Oh, we'll dance alright. And then when your feet hurt and you ask me to carry you back to our room tonight, I'm going to massage every inch of you—"

"Dude, not in front of my salad," Lily whines, elbowing Emma hard in the side. "I can _hear_ you. Save the sex talk for when we're not eating, huh?"

"Sorry, Lils." Emma grins, happy when Regina keeps a hand rubbing absently at her thigh. The rest of dinner isn't nearly as bad as Emma thought it would be. Leo and Robert make a few gross comments throughout the night, but the older men are at their far end of the table having their own little _Old White Boys_ club, so the others mostly just ignore them. David is happy to talk sports with Emma and Dorothy, and Regina finds Mal to be quite delightful to converse with once she gets past the older blonde's intimidating exterior. They're all finishing up dessert and having one more round of wine by the end when Regina excuses herself to the women's room, a waiter directing her back through the interior of the restaurant and out to the hall where a large, luxurious bathroom is available to all restaurant goers.

Marble countertops and gold faucets seem obnoxiously excessive even to Regina, but as she's on vacation, she can only chuckle and roll her eyes, amused.

When she's done and freshened up, she heads back out into the hall, turning for the entrance to the tiki restaurant when a familiar face waves to her from the restaurant across the hall.

"Robin," she greets politely, giving him a stiff smile as the alpha strides over, his smile easy and his body language open and friendly. "How are you?"

"Better, now that I've seen you." He winks, thinking himself charming. "I must admit, I'd hoped you would dine in my restaurant at least a few more times this week, but you've not graced us with your presence."

"My alpha was in rut, I stayed in with her," Regina says simply, pointedly. His eyes drop to take in the mate mark on the side of her neck, his hands moving to rest in his pockets as his chest puffs up a little, the man shifting slightly to make himself seem bigger, stronger.

"That's very caring of you," he murmurs, smirking. "Does she satisfy you, though? You seem like the kind of omega who needs a real man to get you through your heats. I'm not the jealous type, you know. I'd be willing to share..."

"Is that so?" Regina hums, leaning in, idly straightening out the collar of his white polo shirt. He grins, puffing out his chest further, and she curls her lip at the unpleasant waft of his pine-leather scent. "Unfortunately for you, _dear,_ my Emma doesn't share... and, well, there wouldn't be anything left for you, anyways. My alpha is..."

She pauses, dramatically licking her lips as his eyes follow the motion. "My alpha is _very_ talented. Why, I could barely remember my own name this morning after she took care of me. And she takes _such_ good care of me. I'd hate to string you along and have you always feeling... inferior."

Regina flickers her eyes down, blatantly giving the front of his pants a sympathetic look, before looking back up into his stunned eyes with a wicked smile.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find an interested omega one day. I, however, have a worthy alpha of my own to get back to."

With that, she pats his chest in a light, patronizing way, then turns on her heels and moves to rejoin the Swan family, who have all started to trickle out of the restaurant's main entrance. Emma is turned away, talking quietly to Lily, and when Regina slips in under her arm, she notices a little furrow between the blonde's brows.

"What's wrong? Did James say something foolish again?" Regina asks, frowning in concern as she curls her arms around Emma's waist. Emma shakes her head, the furrow quickly disappearing as she leans down to press a chaste kiss to Regina's forehead.

"Nah, nothing like that. Are you excited for flamenco night? The girls and David are gonna meet us there, too."

Regina beams. "Perfect. Let's go get our dance on."

The air is warmer tonight, their bodies heating up quickly as couples dance their hearts out in the crowd. There's a pair of professional dancers on stage with the band leading the party, teaching them the moves and calling out encouragement between songs. Emma, Regina, Lily, and Dorothy pair up, switching partners every so often in bouts of laughter, everyone trying their best to mimic the instructors on stage except for when Emma and Lily pair up and purposely goof around. They pause here and there for a few short breaks, sipping on cocktails and bellinis, and having a great time. Regina had hoped for a more romantic moment with Emma at some point, a slower dance where they could gaze into each other's eyes and murmur words of affection, but the party has yet to wind down and Emma has remained very social and boisterous.

Eventually, though, the music slows down, taking on a soft and sensual tempo, and Regina eagerly grabs Emma's hands to pull her back to the dance floor, only for the blonde to shake her head.

"I need some fresh air, it's way too warm here," she says, gesturing with a thumb over her shoulder as she slides her hand out of Regina's. "I'll be right back!"

She disappears into the crowd, winding her way towards one of the ramps to get off the deck. Regina turns around to join Lily and Dorothy at their table, but the two have already headed back onto the dance floor to sway together. Sighing, she grabs Emma's abandoned drink, swirling the straw through the melting bellini as she waits.

"Hey."

Emma turns her head, smiling sheepishly as Regina joins her at the railing she's leaning against, overlooking the moonlit beach below. She hadn't gone far, just walked down one of the plank bridges that leads around the resort to where the enclosed pools and hot tubs are. A few people pass by them on their way back into the resort, but most are either at the various events or in bed by now. "Hey."

"You've been gone for a while," Regina murmurs, sensing Emma's need for space and not yet leaning up against her. Her gaze is intent and curious, though, searching Emma's expression for what might be plaguing her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I mean... Yeah." Emma takes a breath, indecisive. Regina patiently waits in silence. "I know when we... when we mated... It was kind of in the heat of the moment. I was rutting, you were in heat, it's..."

Regina does turn to face her then, frowning. "Are you regretting our mate marks?"

"No! No. I'd never— god, Regina, you know how I feel. I loved you for six years and never had the guts to say anything until now. It's not about that."

"Then what is it about?" Regina asks, hands on her hips, now defensive. Her heart is already tight, anxious and terrified of rejection, and her scent turns bitter and distressed. Emma straightens up with a horrified look, almost whimpering with a desire to fix it, to sooth her upset omega.

"Regina, I don't want you to feel like you have to be with me just because you helped me during my rut," she says helplessly, hands flailing a little as her shoulders slump. "I love you, and if this was just a one time thing, if— if there's some other alpha you're interested in, I'd... I'd understand." 

She chokes it out, the words seeming to cause her physical pain. Regina's angry stare turns confused, uncertain of where Emma's worries are even coming from.

"What in the world makes you think I want any other alpha?"

"I... I saw you. Talking to Robin." Emma shrinks, somehow, curling in on herself as her shoulders hunch with shame. Her inner alpha howls, raging at the mere idea of Regina with Robin, itching to slam the other alpha into the ground for daring to touch what is hers. But Regina isn't her possession, no matter what declarations they may have made in the heat of the moment, and as much as it tears her up inside, she can't bear to stand in the way if Regina is interested in someone else. Her inner alpha snarls, but it's cowed by her love for the brunette.

"Oh, Emma," Regina sighs, her hands falling from her hips. Emma closes her eyes, whimpering softly, only to open them again in surprise when Regina grabs her by the face. The tiki torches lining the railings reflect in her eyes, red-yellow flames ringed by smoldering russet-brown irises, and Emma feels herself free falling into their depths. "You're a dumbass, do you know that?"

"Huh?" Emma blinks watery eyes, swallowing hard as Regina glares.

"You are the biggest dumbass in history for scaring me like that. I _love_ you, Emma Swan. I want _you,_ and I want your _mark,_ and I want your _pups._ You will never be rid of me; not even in your next lifetime. Do you understand me?"

They stand frozen like that for a long moment, the alpha's eyes glistening with vulnerability, before finally Emma sniffs and nods, whimpering a choked _"yeah, I'm sorry"_ as she slowly curls her hands over Regina's hips. Regina's the one to pull Emma down by her face, crushing their lips together in a hungry, still vaguely angry kiss, licking and nipping until they have to break apart to gasp for air, lips kiss-swollen and Emma looking dazed.

"I want you, Emma," Regina murmurs, softer now, her arms curling around Emma's shoulders as the blonde wraps muscular arms around Regina's body, holding her close. "I want our future together. You and me, a family of our own in Storybrooke. We've waited long enough, don't you think?"

With their foreheads pressed together and noses brushing, Emma breathes out and gives a shaky laugh. "Yeah. I want that, more than anything."

"So how about it then, alpha?" Regina teases, pleased at the way Emma purrs deeply, the vibration rumbling against her chest. "When we get home, let's start planning our future."

"Deal," Emma whispers, kissing her so softly.

They don't go back for one last flamenco night dance, but swaying gently in each other's arms underneath the starlight is just as perfect.

"So... what were you talking with Robin about, then?"

"He propositioned me, said something gross about being willing to share."

"Ugh. What'd you say?"

"I essentially told him that you already take such good care of me, that I can barely remember my own name after you've fucked me into oblivion, and that I'd hate for him to feel like an inferior third wheel."

A cough. A wheeze. "You didn't!"

"I did."

Emma chokes on her complimentary airplane peanuts. Lily laughs so hard she cries.


	4. Chapter 4

" _Unf..._ Emma, _harder..."_

Regina moans raggedly, holding tight to the bars of their headboard as her wife pounds her into the mattress, scorching hands gripping her hips with each deep, unrelenting thrust. Emma's mouth is on her breasts, nipping and licking with hungry abandon, and Regina can already feel the delicious coiling heat of her third orgasm of the morning threatening to explode.

"Such a good omega," Emma growls against her skin, nipping her way up Regina's collarbone. She nuzzles into the crook of Regina's neck, lips finding her mate mark, a throaty purr of pride escaping her as she kisses it. "My omega. My wife. Mine."

"Yes," Regina whimpers, gasping as a particularly rough thrust of Emma's hips has her seeing stars. "Yours. I'm all yours. My alpha. My Emma. Oh, please, I'm almost—"

Her words choke off with a guttural moan as Emma's thumb swipes across her clit, matching the rhythm of her thrusts. The base of Emma's cock starts to swell, her knot making itself apparent, and Emma groans with discomfort as her motions turn irregular and desperate.

"Inside," Regina pleads, breathless and needy. She wants it, wants it buried to the hilt within her before she lets the pleasure overwhelm her, and she digs her nails into Emma's ass to say as much, pulling her as close as she can. "Inside, inside."

The alpha relents, kissing her hard as she begins the slow and maddening push into her wife's tight cunt. Slick as she is, it doesn't take long for her knot to pop all the way in, bottoming out at the same time Regina comes with a loud cry, panting and moaning into Emma's mouth as she claws the blonde's back.

"Fuck, _Emma,"_ Regina whimpers, pressing her hips upwards against the delicious weight of her wife as her orgasm crashes through her, electricity rushing through her veins and firing off every pleasure sensor until it feels like she might just overload. Emma gasps as her cock is squeezed tightly within her mate, grinding down as her own climax hits its peak.

"Gonna fill you up," the alpha snarls, a shudder running through her rigid body as she comes hard, spilling into her omega as the brunette writhes beneath her. "Gonna fill you with my pups."

She continues chanting it as she rocks frantically into Regina, egged on by the way Regina undulates against her and claws encouragingly at her back. On and on it goes, the alpha unrelenting, her abs twitching with each pulse, intent on giving her omega what she wants.

"Gonna fill you," Emma gasps, slowing as exhaustion starts to catch up to her, sweat dripping down her lean form as she hovers over Regina and nuzzles against her mate, scenting her and kissing her and purring against her chest. "Fill you with my pups..."

Regina can feel every twitch, every weakening pulse of come still emptying into her, her loving wife trying so hard to give her what she's asked for. They've been trying even before they got married a year ago, Regina's maternal instincts in full throttle when she realized her dream-children could become a reality. The longer they tried with no success, the more distressed Regina had become, worried that her own body was betraying her. Emma was the most supportive partner she could ask for, full of hope enough for the both of them, soothing her on the nights where she cried and wondered why it wasn't working.

Until last night, when her doctor called with her latest results.

"Emma," Regina whispers, once her alpha has finally slumped over her with exhaustion, their bodies still tied together as Emma keeps her knees and elbows bent, trying her best not to squish her wife. Emma nuzzles her, humming tiredly, unfocused. "Emma, darling, I have something to tell you."

"Mm?" Green eyes flutter open, Emma forcing herself up into a half-plank so she can see her wife. Her hair is sweaty and sticking to her forehead, her cheeks flushed, and her green eyes are bright and mossy, no longer eclipsed by black pupils. Regina laughs, tender affection bubbling within her chest as she cradles her wife's cheek and kisses her oh so softly.

"Emma, I'm pregnant."

**Author's Note:**

> And they lived happily ever after. ;)


End file.
